BY  FRANK  G  SANFORD 


ITT 


H  CE  N 


'Tu  cnn^ 


Lvx~  f^JL.  jZ\-rj  1 


THE  ART  CRAFTS 
FOR  BEGINNERS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2018  with  funding  from 
Getty  Research  Institute 


https://archive.org/details/artcraftsforbegiOOsanf 


THE  ART  CRAFTS 
FOR  BEGINNERS 


BY 

FRANK  G.  SANFORD 

DIRECTOR  OF  ARTS  CRAFTS,  CHAUTAUQUA,  N.  Y. 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH  WORKING 
DRAWINGS  BY  THE  AUTHOR 
AND  PHOTOGRAPHS 


NEW  YORK:  THE  CENTURY  CO. 

1904 


Copyright,  1904,  by 

The  Century  Co. 

Published  November,  190U 


The  DeVinne  Press 


THE  GETTY  CENTER 


To  those  who  feel  the  need  of  some  art  ex¬ 
pression,  but  who  cannot  attend  an  art 
school;  to  those  who  wish  to  follow  the  art 
of  the  craftsman;  to  those  teachers  upon 
whom  demand  is  made  for  knowledge  of 
the  crafts —this  little  volume  is  addressed. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER 

PAGE 

....  3 

ii 

Thin  Wood- working  . 

....  17 

hi 

Pyrography  . 

....  57 

IV 

Sheet-metal  Work  .  .  . 

....  69 

V 

Leather-work . 

....  137 

VI 

Bookbinding . 

....  173 

VII 

Simple  Pottery . 

....  207 

VIII 

Basketry  . 

. 227 

IX 

Bead-work  . . 

......  261 

INTRODUCTION 

IT  often  happens  that  young  people  with  talent 
and  a  strong  feeling  for  art  wish  to  go  further  in 
their  study  than  is  possible  within  the  limits  of  the 
average  school.  There  are  two  courses  open  to  such 
students.  They  can  enter  an  art  academy,  or  they  . 
can  acquire  such  training  as  comes  from  the  study 
of  books,  works  of  art,  and  through  private  instruc¬ 
tion.  Of  these  two  courses,  the  former  is  much  to  be 
preferred,  providing  that  the  art  school  selected  is 
influenced  by  the  modern  art  spirit. 

The  old  academic  instruction  differs  from  the  new 
in  its  recognition  of  historic  styles  as  the  basis  or 
foundation  of  design.  In  contrast  to  this,  modern 
academic  instruction  emphasizes  the  importance  of 
the  greatest  possible  freedom  of  invention,  such  in¬ 
vention,  however,  to  be  controlled  by  the  laws  of 

ix 


X 


INTRODUCTION 


beauty.  It  can  readily  be  seen  that  the  old  academic 
methods  tend  to  crush  individuality,  and  are  in¬ 
herently  opposed  to  the  very  processes  that  called 
into  life  the  beautiful  art  known  as  historic  styles. 

The  new  academic  thought  insists  that  the  designer 
shall  be  himself ;  that  he  shall  draw  his  inspiration 
from  nature  and  the  immediate  needs  of  his  sur¬ 
roundings.  The  historic  styles  may  be  his  grammar, 
from  which  he  may  learn  how  to  use  the  material 
supplied  by  nature.  Historic  art  may  teach  him 
how  to  design  ;  it  can  never,  alone,  teach  him  design. 

Not  only  do  modern  methods  allow  freedom  of  ex¬ 
pression,  but  they  urge  actual  construction.  He  who 
would  understand  design  must  know  the  steps,  by 
actual  experience,  from  the  inception  of  the  idea  and 
its  expression  on  paper  to  the  ultimate  material  com¬ 
pletion  of  the  object. 

That  there  is  danger  of  dissipating  one’s  energies, 
acquiring  thus  but  a  superficial  acquaintance  with 
many  crafts  and  materials,  is  very  true.  But  a  know¬ 
ledge  of  the  possibilities  and  limitations  of  different 
mediums,  such  as  clay,  leather,  or  wood,  and  a  further 
discovery  of  new  combinations  of  materials  widen 
the  artistic  horizon  to  an  almost  limitless  extent. 
Moreover,  the  designer  need  go  but  a  little  way  with 


INTRODUCTION 


xi 


numerous  materials.  A  few  elementary  exercises 
done  in  a  workmanlike  manner  will  be  sufficient. 
The  experience  thus  gained  should  enable  him  to 
make  consistent  designs.  The  true  craftsman  should 
be  able  to  express  his  idea  upon  paper,  and  to  pro¬ 
ceed  to  the  actual  carrying  out  of  that  idea  in  ma¬ 
terial  terms. 

The  potter  may  serve  as  an  illustration  of  what  a 
craftsman  should  be.  The  potter  has  in  mind,  for 
instance,  a  certain  kind  of  vase  or  tile.  Sometimes 
he  expresses  his  idea  on  paper,  and  sometimes  he 
works  from  his  mental  image.  But  the  joy  of  the 
work  consists  in  making  the  yielding  mass  obey  the 
art  impulse  of  the  mind. 

I  stood  in  silence  and  apart, 

And  wondered  more  and  more  to  see 
That  shapeless,  lifeless  mass  of  clay 
Rise  up  to  meet  the  master’s  hand, 

And  now  contract  and  now  expand, 

And  even  his  slightest  touch  obey. 

Not  many  years  ago  the  study  of  the  arts  was 
considered  to  be  an  ornament,  rather  than  an  essen¬ 
tial,  in  education ;  but  the  growing  interest  in  the 
crafts,  shown  in  our  own  and  in  foreign  countries, 


xii 


introduction 


All 

r'  ethe  progress'tn  ‘ "the  dCTeTopmeBtrf  the  desire 
mediate  environment,  1  times.  Some  at- 

°^elT^"XL,  White 

sss.®;  that  * 

progie  cphool  conditions. 

may  easily  he  adapt  illustrated  aud  devel- 

Many  of  the  objects  herem  seventh. 

oped  have  heensuccrasfu  y  ^0^  teachers 

and  eighth -grade  an  *  ith  equal  interest, 

and  pupils  working  totoethe  u  of  the 

This  booh  "  “fs»  of  his  complex 
professional  woik  •  attempted  here.  Its 

and  difficult  problems  is  not  ^  tQ  Qpen  tlie 

mission  will  be  accomp  is  ie^  of  his  im- 

mind  of  the  student  e  doing  0f  the  exer- 

mediate  environmen  ,  serious  work  of 

cises  prepares  the  way  for  the  more 
the  professional  craftsman. 


THE  ART  CRAFTS 
FOR  BEGINNERS 


THE  ART  CRAFTS 

FOR  BEGINNERS 


CHAPTER  I 

DESIGN  1 


/~\LD  as  the  first  mat- weaving  is  the  principle  that 
design  is  the  child  of  necessity ;  and  in  every 
design  I  would  ask  myself  these  questions  : 

1*  What  is  the  purpose  of  this  object  that  I  am 
about  to  make  ? 

2.  What  is  the  form  best  suited  to  that  purpose  f 

3.  What  is  the  best  material— wood,  metal,  or  clay 
—for  my  purpose? 

1  Those  whose  creative  ability  is  so  limited  as  to  discourage  them  in 
any  attempt  at  original  designing  may  yet  be  successful  in  craftsmanship, 
relying  more  upon  mechanical  skill  and  artistic  perception  in  the  care¬ 
ful  copying  or  adaptation  of  such  good  designs  as  are  available. 

3 


4  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

d  How  will  the  material  and.  use  of  the  object 
4‘  r  ana  limit  the  ornament  to  be  placed  upon  it . 

suggestion,  I  SMI  not  trea 

the  subject  design  in  any 

better  that  each  "^^t^tutsign^aceording  to 

its  natural  strength  or  lim¬ 
itations.  The  drawings  are 
mostly  from  the  work  of 
“I  the  writer  or  his  pupils, 

J  and  they  seem  to  him  at 
this  present  writing  good 
and  consistent,  but  they  are 
only  the  result  of  a  very 
limited  experience,  and  as 
such  are  offered  to  the 
public. 

Fi<r  x  The  desire  for  novelty 

has  been  the  impetus  to  CSrmfuL 

design,  yet  in  a  supei  ^  for  as  we  do  buil(Jj 

To  avoid  eclecticism,  and  ’  rather 

=n 

» *•  “  **“•*“’ 


DESIGN 


5 


safe  one  :  above  the  historic  schools,  above  the  law 
of  abstract  beauty,  great  as  it  may  be,  is  the  greater 
law  of  special  beauty,  or  harmony  of  character,  including 
the  others  as  the  greater  includes  the  less. 

Volumes  have  been  and  will  be  written  upon  de¬ 
sign.  They,  and  the  schools 
founded  upon  them,  all 
have  considerable  truth 
and  may  teach  us  much, 
in  spite  of  their  inevitable 
limitations.  I  say  inevita¬ 
ble,  because  in  art,  as  in 
ethics,  no  one  has  yet 
found  the  whole  truth. 

The  term  “design”  in 
its  broad  sense  means  to 
plan,  and  includes  not  only 
design  in  its  constructive  Fig.  2 

and  decorative  sense,  but  all  arrangements  of  lines 
and  masses  in  pictorial  composition  as  well. 

“  Ornament  ”  means  that  which  is  applied  to  embel¬ 
lish,  decorate,  or  beautify,  and  in  its  best  sense  must 
always  be  subordinated  to  the  purpose,  material,  and 
structure  of  the  object  or  building  decorated,  and 
should  never  be  treated  as  an  independent  or  iso- 


the  art  crafts  for  beginners 

lated  thing.  It  is  best  where 
it  is  strictly  dependent. 

This  is  so  little  understood 
by  beginners  that  they  con¬ 
sider  anything  which  is  in 
itself  beautiful  or  interest¬ 
ing  may  be  utilized  as  orna¬ 
ment.  Hence  the  frequent 
application  of  pictorial 
motives  to  pottery,  frames, 
sofa-pillows,  and  what  not. 
Especially  in  *the  easily 
learned  art  of  pyrography  is  this  noticeable  ^  ^ 
A  picture  is  an  independent,  though  P 

nature  expressed  in  any  medium  one  chooses-a  thn  g 

“Tneedfa  —  to  define  and  illustrate 

these  things  clearly,  and  the  purpose  here  ^ 
is  rather  to  suggest,  with  specific  and  con- 
crete  illustrations  to  follow  m  several 
of  the  chapters.  For  the  historic 
development  of  ornament,  con¬ 
sult  the  books  of  Walter  Crane 
and  Lewis  F.  Hay,  excel- ^ 

lent  writers  on  this  subject.  Fig-4 


Fig.  3 


DESIGN 


7 


In  touching  on  the  machinery  of  design 
we  consider  ornament  under  three  general 
heads :  naturalistic,  conventional,  and 
geometric. 

The  first  is  illustrated  in  the  tree 
and  road  pattern  for  the  card-case 
(see  Leather),  where  the  simple 
lines  of  tree,  road,  and  water  are 
placed  in  a  pleasing  proportion 
but  realistic  arrangement. 

This  is  the  character  of  i 
of  the  art  of  the  Japa 
nese  and  the  art  of  those  Fig.  5 

who  follow  them  (see  also  Figs.  7  and  12). 

The  second,  or  conventional  method,  is  illustrated 
in  the  taking  of  a  flower  or  natural  object ;  and  set¬ 
ting  aside  accidental  variations  of  individual  speci¬ 
mens,  the  typic  lines  of  growth  and  characteristic 
curves  are  abstracted.  This  is  shown  in  the  tulip, 
Fig.  8,  the  birds  from  Indian  baskets,  Figs.  9  and  10, 
and  the  bead-belt  design  (see  Bead-work). 

The  third,  or  geometric  division,  is  where  purely 
abstract  and  geometric  forms  are  used,  straight-line 
patterns  and  the  like,  some  of  them  developed 
from  modes  of  working,  structural  necessities,  or 


the  art  crafts  for  beginners 


weaving  and  knotting,  as  in 
the  Celtic  interlaces. 

In  planning  ornament  the 
first  consideration  should  be 
subordination  to  use  and 
construction  in  its  amount 
and  distribution;  following 
this,  harmony  of  line.  These 
we  may  call  the  special  or 
concrete  considerations  of 
each  design. 

But  beyond  this  are  the 
general  rules  of  all  orna¬ 
ment,— the  things  usually 
taught  first  in  any  school, 
-and  winch  we  may  call  the  abstract  considerations 
First,  proportion,  or  the  pleasing  arrangement  of 
parts  as  to  size  and  space,  and  in  such  manner  as  to 
avoid  monotony  or  undue  repetition.  Second  “d 
related  closely  to  the  first,  is  balance,  <»•  the  dis 
button  of  parts  and  elements  of  a  design  so  that  t 
interest  shall  not  be  centered  unduly  upon  one  porn^ 
Balance  of  design  is  something  found  in  all  good 
composition,  from  the  frescos  of  Angelo  to  the  Dut 
interiors  and  the  landscapes  of  Corot,  althoug  iu  e 


Fig.  6 


DESIGN 


0 


examples  cited  it  is  irregular, 
as  is  the  case  in  most  of  the 
Japanese  ornament,  which  is 
pictorial  in  character. 

In  the  example  of  the  card- 
case  (see  Leather)  note  that 
the  dark  roadway  and  sky 
are  balanced  by  the  decided 
lines  of  the  tree,  which  thus 
become  important  in  the 
composition. 


The  Conventional 
Rendering 


Fig.  8 


Fig.  7 


The  greater  part  of  the 
designs  in  this  book  are  in¬ 
cluded  in  the  second  divi¬ 
sion  under  the  heading  Bal¬ 
ance  ;  that  is,  symmetrical 
balance,  or  the  exact  balance 
of  one  part  to  another,  as 
the  two  sides  of  the  frames, 
the  sconce,  or  as  in  Fig.  8. 
Symmetrical  balance  is  some¬ 
times  of  two  parts,  as  in  the 


10  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


The  Conventional  Ornament  and 
its  Derivation 

Fig.  9 


examples  above  referred 
to,  or  of  three,  four,  or 
any  number  of  repeating 
parts. 

Here  the  principle  of 
radiation  comes  in,  as 
shown  in  Figs.  11  and  12. 

The  development  of  a 
design  from  a  single  cen¬ 
ter  or  many  centers  is 
also  illustrated  here. 

Fig.  11  is  a  conven¬ 
tional  stencil  pattern 
derived  from  the  holly¬ 
hock,  and  intended  to 
decorate  some  object  in 
leather  or  fabric  which 
will  lie  flat  and  be  seen 
from  any  side.  Hence 
the  advisability  of  a  pat¬ 
tern  which  will  look 
equally  well  from  all 
sides.  For  the  same 
best  for  the  tray  (see 
irregular 


reason  a  radiating  pattern  is 
chapter  on  Metal-work).  Fig.  12  is  an 


DESIGN 


11 


radiating  pattern,  realistic  in  treatment.  The  small 
sketch  shows  the  basic  principle  of  leaf  and  stem 
radiation. 

Decoration  which  is  to  be  applied  to  a  flat  surface 
should  observe  that  same  flatness  and  reserve  in  color 
that  it  does  in  line  and  form. 

Color  is  touched  upon  in  several  of  the  chapters  of 
this  book.  Some  of  the  crafts  here  treated,  as  leather 
and  metal,  are  colorful  enough  in  their  material. 
Bead- work  is  most  satisfactory  in  pure,  bright  colors. 
In  basketry,  black  and  dull  red,  with  the  natural 
tawny  colors  of  raffia  and  reed,  certainly  give  scope 
enough  to  harmonize  with  the  very  restricted  forms 
which  may  be  worked  up  in  this  material. 

In  woodwork  it  is  better  to  handle  a  few  harmo¬ 
nious  stains,  such  as  may  be  mixed  from  the  list  of 
colors  given, 
than  to  risk 
over  -  coloring 
and  pettiness 
from  using 
many  tints. 

I  do  not 
wish  to  be 
dogmatic,  but 


12  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 
I  regard  three  tones  of  color  as  sufficient  on  any  one 

^Many  valuable  suggestions  may  be  got  ^om  the 
colored  plates  of  the  art  magazines,  like  the  Stud  10. 
The  “ School  Arts  Book”  offers  many  ideas.  If  you 
have  the  opportunity,  study  good  Japanese  prmts 
for  their  wonderful  rich  stains  and  delicate  tints , 
and,  above  all,  nature,  with  her  wonderful  deep- 
orange  and  brown  scales,  her  staccatos  of  yellows 
and  pale  greens,  and  the  wealth  of  her  gamut  of  red. 

As  this  book  is  intended  to  reach  those  who  have 
A  little  or  no 

knowledge  of 
design  methods, 
it  seems  best  to 
Fig.  11 

Conventional 
radiation  And 

Fovr  P*RT 
S'CMWETflX' 


DESIGN 


13 


IRREGVLAR 
RADIATION  of 
NATVRE 

Fig.  12 

offer  some  ex¬ 
planation  of  the 
simpler  meth¬ 
ods  of  drafting. 


Following  is  a  list  of  necessary  drawing-tools,  with 
their  approximate  cost : 


A  pine  drawing-board  about  20"  x  26" 

A  T-square,  24"  blade . 

A  45°  amber  triangle,  length  8"  .  • 

Or  a  45°  wood  triangle,  length  8" 

A  30°  x  60°  triangle . 

A  combination  dividers  and  compass 
A  T  boxwood  beveled  rule  .... 

Some  sheets  of  black  carbon  transfer-paper, 
thumb-tacks,  eraser,  and  pencils. 


.20 

.25 

.60 

.25 

.25 

.50 

.10 


14  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

It  is  an  excellent  thing  to  have  a  complete  set  of 
drawing-instruments,  such  as  may  be  purchased  for 
$4.50  or  $5,  but  these  are  not  necessary. 

All  horizontal  lines  are  drawn  with  the  T-square, 
the  head  of  which  rests  closely  against  the  left  edge 
of  the  drawing-board  (Fig.  1),  and  is  held  in  place 
firmly  by  the  left  hand,  leaving  the  right  hand  free 
to  point  and  draw. 

Horizontals  are  usually  drawn  along  the  upper  side 
of  the  blade  of  the  T-square,  as  indicated  by  pencil, 
Fig.  1.  The  T-square  is  used  only  from  one  edge  of 
the  board,  for  this  reason,  that  otherwise  one  cannot 
be  sure  that  all  edges  of  the  board  are  parallel  oi  at 
right  angles  each  to  each ;  and  unless  they  be  so, 
drawing  by  squaring  from  any  side  at  random  would 
not  give  a  true  line.  All  verticals  are  drawn  by 
placing  the  triangle  upon  the  T-square,  and  sliding 
back  and  forth  to  the  points  from  which  lines  are  to 
be  drawn,  as  in  Fig.  2.  Angles  are  drawn  similarly. 

To  adjust  a  paper  to  the  board,  place  it  at  about 
the  center,  and  insert  a  tack  in  the  upper  left  corner. 
Place  the  T-square  so  that  the  lower  edge  touches  this 
point,  and,  bringing  the  other  corner  up  against  the 
square,  insert  the  second  tack  ;  lastly  the  two  lower 
corners  (Fig.  3)  are  securely  tacked. 


CHAPTER  II 

* 

THIN  WOOD-WORKING 


Problem 

Problem 

Problem 

Problem 

Problem 


I  —  Calendar-back 

II  —  Sun-dial 
HI  —  picture-frame 
IV  —  Envelop-bolder 
V  —  Pencil-box 


CHAPTER  II 


THIN  WOOD-WORKING 

WORKING  in  wood,  with  the  knife  as  a  principal 
cutting-tool,  has  fallen  into  disfavor  in  some 
places  because  it  is  thought  to  mean  the  old  sloyd 
system  of  copying  a  fixed  set  of  colorless  models. 
Adhering  to  the  sloyd  constructive  principles,  which 
are  good,  but  introducing  original  design  and  color, 
this  work  may  be  made  very  valuable  in  schools  and 
of  interest  to  adults  who  wish  to  work  with  a  few 
simple  tools.  Some  of  the  objects  in  the  following 
chapters  were  worked  out  very  successfully  by  the 
boys  of  Oak  Park  (Hlinois)  public  schools. 

Following  is  a  special  wood-working  equipment, 
which  has  been  selected  with  a  view  to  economy  and 
home  conditions : 


2 


17 


18  THE  AET  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGINNEES 

SPECIAL  EQUIPMENT 


A  No.  6  sloyd  whittling-knife,  40  cents.  In 
place  of  this  an  ordinary  jack-knife  will  do,  if 
the  blade  is  ground  to  a  point.  The  jack-kni  e 
blade  usually  ends  in  a  point  like  Fig.  1,  a,  but 
for  good  work  we  need  the  blade  pointed  as 
shown  in  Fig.  1,  b,  the  form  of  the  sloyd  knife. 

A  small  tack-  or  brad-hammer,  30  cents. 

Some  J"  and  steel  brads. 

A  can  of  Le  Page’s  liquid  glue,  25  cents,  to  be 

warmed  before  using. 

Some  sheets  of  00  sandpaper. 

A  piece  of  clear  wood,  thick  at  least,  1  1 
9'  x  12'  in  size,  to  be  used  as  a  cut-  \j/ 
ting-board. 

An  India  combination  oilstone, 
Laving  one  side  coarse  for  very 
Lull  edges,  and  the  other  side 
case,  $1. 


Fig.  1 

fine.  With 


Fig.  2 


An  oil-can  filled  with  kerosene 
or  lard  oil.  Vegetable  oil  should 
not  be  used,  as  it  hardens  and 
clogs  the  stones.  Some  cotton 
cloth  or  waste  for  wiping  tools 
and  stone. 

A  bit  of  belt  or  thick  leather  for 
strapping  your  knife.  This  may  be 
covered  with  a  mixture  of  emery 
flour  and  oil. 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


19 


A  6"  try-square 
as  in  Figs.  8,  9,  25 
cents. 

A  auger-bit, 

40  cents.  Fig>  3 

A  small  brad-awl,  10  cents. 

Some  pieces  of  clear  white  basswood  ;  these  may  be  had 
of  any  dealer  in  fine  woods  or  veneering.  Get  some  of  them 
planed  down  to  and  for  convenience  some  to  thick¬ 
ness,  and  cut  to  about  4'  lengths. 

4  wooden  hand-screws  (see  Fig.  4),  35  cents  each. 


FOR  COLORING 


1  tube  ivory  black  (oil  color) . 5c. 

1  “  burnt  umber  “  5c. 

1  “  light  red  “  5c. 

1  “  Prussian  blue  “  5c. 

1  “  chrome  yellow  “  5c. 


A  cheap  grade  of  col¬ 
ors  will  answer  the 
purpose. 

A  small  tin  or  dish  for 
mixing  colors. 

A  small  paint-brush 
that  will  point  well. 

Some  turpentine  or 
benzine. 

A  clean  cloth. 

A  lump  of  beeswax. 


Fig.  4 


20  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

A  sharp  knife  is  of  first  im¬ 
portance  in  this  work,  hence 
the  oilstone  and  strap.  When 
you  purchase  your  knife  it 
will  not  have  a  good  cutting- 
edge,  but  will  need  whetting 
upon  the  stone.  Grind  it  upon 
the  coarse  side,  first  putting  a 
few  drops  of  oil  upon  the  stone. 

If  you  do  not  use  oil,  the  fric¬ 
tion  of  rubbing  the  blade  will 
heat  and  take  out  the  temper 
from  the  steel. 

Notice  the  shape  of  the  knife-blade  (Fig. 
that  the  bevel  is  held  flat  on  the  stone  c 
knife  back  and  forth  withou  ■ j*  ‘“shown  in 
stone,  and  holding  it  at  an  ugk -f  «£  f  fte 
0).Fig.  2,  first  on  one  side  th  rub  it 

other,  until  yon  produce  a  wire  eog 
a  little  upon  the  smooth  s.detfthe  stone ,  ^  ^ 

strap  the  blade  to  knife  on  the  strap 

**£  direction5 shown  by  the 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


21 


arrow  a ,  Fig.  3,  turn  it  on  its  back  (not  on  the  edge), 
and  pull  it  back  along  the  strap  ;  it  is  precisely  the 
same  as  strapping  a  razor.  Keep  this  up  until  the 
wire  edge  disappears. 

Sharpening  tools  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  things 
in  wood-working,  and  it  is  a  question  as  to  when 
children  can  be  taught  to  do  this. 

Be  careful  to  strap  your  knife  clear  to  the  point, 
because  much  important  work  is  done  with  the  point. 

Now  try  a  simple  exercise  in  straight  cutting.  On 
a  piece  of  the  basswood  mark  out  a  rectangle 
4^'  x  1",  long  side  running  with  the  grain — that  is, 
with  the  fibers  of  the  wood.  Hold  the  knife  as  shown 
in  Fig.  5,  and  make  a  vertical  cut  on  the  line  across 
grain,  drawing  the  knife  toward  you.  Outside  the 
line  make  an  oblique  cut  (Fig.  5,  &),  repeating  this 
until  the  wood  is  sev¬ 
ered.  This  cutting  is 
done  upon  your  soft 
wood-block.  Cutting 
with  the  grain  is  much 
easier ;  simply  repeat 
your  vertical  cut  until 
you  pierce  the  wood. 

With  the  rule  draw  Fig.  6 


22  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

a  line  parallel  to  the  long  edge,  about  £"  (Fig.  6,  a) 
from  it.  Always  try  the  wood  before  cutting  into  it, 
to  ascertain  which  way  the  grain  runs.  In  clear 
basswood  it  is  usually  quite  straight,  but  sometimes 
will  run  at  a  slight  angle,  as  in  Fig.  6,  6. 

In  trimming  a  long  edge  like  this  it  will  readily 

be  seen  that  if  the  //~V  kmfe  cuts  in 

direction  a,  it  will  /  splitthewood 

therefore  be 
trimmed  from 
the  opposite 
edge.  Holding 
your  knife  as  shown  in  Fig.  7, 
whittle  carefully  down  to  the 
line  with  a  long  even  stroke,  a 

little  at  a  time. 

Prove  your  cut  in  the  follow- 

ing  maimer:  With  try-square  across  edge  (Fig. 

and  with  rule  along  the  edge,  next  draw  a 

close  to  the  end  of  the  piece  as  you  can  get  a  square 

edve  (Fig.  9).  For  fine  work  it  is  better 

this  line  with  a  knife,  holding  it  firmly  n^r  the  pom 

(Fig.  16),  and  pressing  it  close  to  the  bla 

try-square. 


Fig.  7 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


23 


i  i  Vii 


In  squaring  across  the  grain 
hold  the  knife  as  in  Fig.  10, 
drawing  it  toward  you,  and 
keeping  the  thumb  well  below  the  end  to 
avoid  cutting  your  hand. 

Pare  a  little  at  a  time,  and  a  little  prac¬ 
tice  will  enable  one 
to  make  these  cuts 
with  skill. 


B 


Trrrnr 


Fig.  8 


Fig.  9 


Remember  that  the  knife  should 
be  kept  very  sharp,  and  will  re¬ 
quire  frequent  strappings  and  whet- 
tings.  A  great  deal  can  be  done 
with  this  simple  tool. 

The  foregoing  paragraphs  give  in 
detail  what  seem  to  be  the  essentials. 

Practice  will,  of  course,  teach  far 


more  than  mere  printed  in¬ 
structions,  and  a  few  finger- 
cuts  just  at  the  first  will 
serve  to  show  one  that  al¬ 
though  it  is  a  little  tool,  and 
responding  steadily  to  the 
touch,  the  knife  must  be 
respected. 


24  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 
PROBLEM  I- CALENDAR  BACK 

Following  the  method  just  explained,  cut  out  a 
piece  of  i"  basswood,  a  little  larger  (say  all 
around)  than  the  measurement  given  in  Fig.  11,  the 
grain  running  as  indicated  by  lines.  Square  this 
piece  to  dimensions  given.  Now  upon  a  piece  of 

paper  which  is  thin 
enough  to  allow  of  a  line 
being  easily  transferred 
through  it,  and  with 
your  instruments,  draw 
a  rectangle  with  a  verti¬ 
cal  through  the  center, 
as  shown  (Fig.  It). 
Upon  one  side  of  your 
line  draw  the  curves  of  the  outline,  avoiding  long, 
sharp  points  or  deep  curves.  Fold  the  paper  upon 
the  vertical  line,  with  curves  outward,  and  cut  to  the 
curves,  thus  producing  an  absolutely  symmetrica 
pattern.  You  may  hold  this  firmly  upon  the  wood, 
and  draw  around  it  very  carefully.  Your  paper  must 
not  be  too  thin,  or  this  will  prove  a  difficult  matter. 
Common  white  drawing-paper  or  brown  wrapping- 
paper  will  do  very  well  for  this.  If  the  paper  is 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


25 


tacked  to  the  wood,  it  will  leave  a  permanent  scar  ; 
so,  if  you  cannot  hold  it  firmly,  put  a  touch  of  muci¬ 
lage  in  two  points  upon  the  paper.  The  pattern  may 
afterward  be  separated  by  passing  your  knife  between 
it  and  the  wood. 

Proceed  to  cut  out  the  curves,  and  if  you  under¬ 
cut  or  split  the  wood,  try  again  and  do  not  be  dis¬ 
couraged.  The  sides  C. 

a ,  a,  Fig.  12,  across  the 
grain,  will  be  pared 
out  as  in  Fig.  10.  The 
long  side  b  with  the 
grain  will  be  done  with 
the  knife  in  the  first 
position  (Fig.  7).  The 
curves  on  side  c  will  be 
cut  mostly  by  carefnlly  paring  with  the  knife  held 
near  the  point  in  second  position  (Fig.  10).  The 
corner  curves  must  be  pared  in  the  direction  of  arrow  ; 
for  if  done  in  the  opposite  direction,  you  will  cut  into 
the  grain,  and  will  be  sure  to  split  off  a  little  of  the 
corner.  This  principle  is  demonstrated  at  Fig.  13, 
a  showing  the  effect  of  cutting  against  or  into  the 
grain  at  an  angle,  b  showing  the  proper  manner  of 
cutting  at  an  angle  with  the  grain.  In  working 


26  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

across  the  grain  you  must  cut 
from  both  sides  toward  the  cen¬ 
ter.  The  effect  of  cutting  all 
the  way  across  from  one  side  is 
shown  in  Fig.  14.  The  wood  is 
split  off  just  at  the  edge  of  the 
piece. 

It  is  very  likely  you  will  have 
to  learn  this  by  experience.  Ac- 
cidents  of  this  kind  are  liable  to  happen  m  any  piece 
of  whittling,  therefore  it  is  not  wise  to  transfer  the 
decoration  until  after  the  piece  is  cut  out.  Now  open 
the  paper  pattern,  mark  out  a  space  to  be  occupied 
by  your  calendar,  2"  X  3",  and  around  it  upon  one  side 
of  the  central  line  draw  in  some  simple  line-pattern 
like  the  one  shown  in  Fig.  15.  Be  careful  to  get  a  curve 
with  a  good  even  sweep-a  regular  curve.  Y ou  will 
notice  those  in  this  design  are  long  and  sweeping, 
short  abrupt  curve  is  difficult  to  cut  by  this  method 
with  the  knife.  When  the  design  is  drawn  upon  one 
side,  transfer  by  folding  and  rubbing. 

Whet  the  knife  to  a  good  point,  and,  holding 
the  position  indicated  in  Fig.  16,  make  an  incision  a 
little  outside  the  pencil-line  at  an  angle  of  about  45  . 
Cut  in  about  slowly  drawing  the  knife  towar 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


you,  turn  the  wood,  and  cut  on  the  other  side  of 
the  line,  taking  out  a  clean  Y-shaped  groove  (Fig. 
16).  Care  must  be  taken  to  cut  no  more  than 
half  through  the  wood,  and  it  is  well  to  practise 
upon  a  scrap  uutil  you  can  make  a  clean  cut.  The 
dots  marked  in  Fig.  15  indicate  the  holes  by 
which  the  calendar  may  be  suspended.  Insert  the 
bit  in  the  center  of  the  hole,  and  twist  it  through 
until  the  point  appears  at  the  back.  Insert  in  this 
hole  at  the  back,  and  twist 


through ;  thispre- 
wood  on  either 
by  wrapping  the 
smooth  block  and 
ishedwork  always 
Do  not  sandpaper 


tfjff 


Fig.  14 


vents  splitting  the 
side.  Sandpaper 
paper  around  a 
rubbing  the  fin- 
with  the  grain, 
the  edges,  or  in¬ 


variably  you  will  round  them  and  spoil  the  clean-cut 
appearance. 

The  method  of  staining  is  as  follows  :  For  a  green 


background,  mix  a  little  chrome  yellow,  a  little 
Prussian  blue,  and  some  light  red  or  black.  Mix 
this  thoroughly  with  benziue  or  turpentine,  and  cover 
the  whole  surface,  back,  face,  and  edges,  soaking  a 
piece  of  cloth  in  the  color  and  rubbing  all  over  the 
wood.  A  brush  is  likely  to  produce  a  streaky  effect. 


28  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Be  sure  to  fill  all  the  cuts,  and  leave  no  spots  or 
crevices  white.  Rub  this  down  to  an  even,  clean 
tone.  If  there  is  any  “figure”  in  the  wood,  this  pro¬ 
cess  will  bring  it  out.  If  your  solution  is  too  thick, 
dilute  it,  and  avoid  by  all  means  the  effect  of  paint. 
If  too  thin,  apply  another  coat.  Also  cover  both 
sides  as  soon  as  possible  with  the  stain,  to  save  warp¬ 
ing  through  uneven  drying.  It  is  unworkmanlike  to 
leave  any  part  unfinished  because  it  is  not  to  be  seen. 
You  may  have  to  use  your  brush  to  reach  the  cuts, 
but  avoid  this  if  possible,  as  it  is  liable  to  make  the 
work  streaky. 

Some  of  the  inclosed  spaces  of  your  design  may  be 
touched  in  with  pure  color,  such  as  light  red  or 
Prussian  blue.  It  is  best  that  the  under-coat  should 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING  25) 

nearly  dry  before  applying  the  others.  Also  see  that 
the  color  is  not  thin  enough  to  spread.  This  over¬ 
color  will  sink  partly  into  the  background,  and  the 
effect  will  be  a  harmonious  blending.  It  will  require 
several  days  to  dry  the  color ;  then  finish  by  apply¬ 
ing  a  thin  coat  of  beeswax.  Cut  up  the  wax  m  a 
small  dish  of  turpentine,  about  five  parts  turpentine 
to  one  of  wax,  and  dissolve  by  heating.  When  cooled, 
it  should  be  about  the  consistency  of  vaseline.  If  too 
hard  to  be  easily  spread  with  the  fingers,  put  moie 
turpentine,  and  again  heat.  When  cool  and  your 
color  perfectly  dry,  apply  with  your  fingers  or  a  sott 
cloth  all  over,  and  rub  off  to  a  thin  tone. 


Fig.  16 


30  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

While  it  is  still  soft,  carefully  remove  the  wax  that 
may  have  settled  in  the  cuts.  After  the  wax  is  dry, 
finish  with  the  palm  of  the  hand.  Water-color  may 
be  used  for  staining,  applied  in  same  manner  as  oil- 
paint,  but  is  more  likely  to  warp  the  wood. 

The  calendar  may  be  attached  by  some  small 
escutcheon-pins  or  by  gluing. 

If  glued,  it  may  be  necessary  to  scratch  away  the 
stain  and  wax  from  the  wood  surface  just  beneath 
the  paper,  to  allow  the  glue  to  hold. 

The  calendar  may  be  bored  for  hanging  on  the 
wall,  or  it  may  be  finished  with  braces  like  the  pic¬ 
ture-frame  described  in  Problem  III. 

PROBLEM  II -SUN-DIAL 

If  you  have  a  little  piece  of  lawn,  or  a  bit  of  a  gar¬ 
den  spot,  or,  better  still,  a  garden  of  roses,  or  indeed 
any  place  whatever  where  the  sun  may  linger  all 
day,  you  will  find  much  pleasure  in  a  home-wrought 
sun-dial. 

To  construct  a  dial  which  shall  be  absolutely  accu¬ 
rate  for  any  given  latitude  is  a  rather  difficult  piece 
of  work,  requiring  some  knowledge  of  astronomy.  I 
have  used  a  table  taken  from  an  article  on  sun-dials  by 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


31 


Professor  Jacoby,  which  was  published  in  “McClure’s 
Magazine  ”  some  time  ago.  Several  dials  made  accord¬ 
ing  to  this  table  have  proved  fairly  accurate  time¬ 
keepers. 

To  those  who  may  wish  to  study  the  subject  of  dials 
more  carefully,  I  would  recommend  the  article  in  the 
“Encyclopaedia  Britannica.” 

By  referring  to  the  table  given  on  the  following- 
page  and  to  the  dial  which  I  have  worked  out  for 
the  latitude  of  Chicago,  you  can  easily  construct  the 
plan  for  a  dial  in  or  near  any  of  the  cities  in  the  table. 

We  shall  use  basswood,  of  which  you  will  need 
one  piece  cut  to  6^"  square  and  another  piece  to  7“ 
square.  For  this  small  knife- work  we  are  using  just 
one  half  the  measurements  given  in  the  table. 

Now  with  your  instruments — that  is,  T-square, 
rule,  and  triangles — work  out  your  dial-plate  upon 
paper  very  accurately,  according  to  the  latitude  ol 
your  residence  :  New  York,  Boston,  or  Chicago,  as 
the  case  may  be.  You  would  better  go  over  all 
measurements  at  least  twice,  to  make  sure  of 
accuracy. 

The  plan  being  drawn  upon  paper,  cut  it  out  on 
the  heavy  outer  line  (Fig.  17).  The  pattern  is  then 
fitted  exactly  into  the  middle  of  the  smaller  square 


32  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

TABLE  SHOWING  HOW  TO  MARK  THE  HOUR-LINES 


Place 


Albany . 

Baltimore  . . . 

Boston . 

Buffalo  ...... 

Charleston  . . 

Chicago . 

Cincinnati . . 
Cleveland  . . 

Denver . 

Detroit . 

Indianapolis . . . 
Kansas  City . . . 

Louisville . 

Milwaukee 
New  Orleans  . . 

New  York . 

Omaha . 

Philadelphia. : 

Pittsburg . . 

Portland,  Me . . 

Richmond . 

Rochester . 

San  Diego . 

San  Francisco. 

Savannah  . 

St.  Louis . 

St.  Paul. ....... 

Seattle . 

Wash’ton,  D.  C 


Distance  from  0 
to  the  line  marked 


VII 


Inches 
L  15-16 
l  1-8 


15-16 

7-16 


VIII 


Inches 


IX 


2  1-8 

1-8 
1-4 
1-4 
15-16 
2  11-16 


IS 

15-16 

1-4 

15-16 

7-16 

1-4 

9-16 

1-4 

15-16 

13-16 

1-8 


3-16 

11-16 

5-16 

3-16 

3-8 

5-16 

11-16 

5-16 

1-2 

5-16 

11-16 

11-16 

11-16 

3-16 

3-4 

5-16 

5-16 

1-2 

5-16 

3-16 

11-16 

3-16 

3-8 

4  11-16 

5  9-16 

4  11-16 

4  1-16 

3  15-16 

4  11-16 


Inches 

7-16 


7-16 

7-16 

7-16 


7  7-16 

7 
7 
7 
7 

7 

8 

7  7-16 


Distance  from  M 
to  the  line  marked 


1-8 

5-8 


IX 

X 

XI 

Inches 

Inches 

Inches 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

2  7-8 

1  7-16 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

4  3-8 

2  1-2 

1  1-8 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

2  7-8 

1  7-16 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

2  7-8 

1  7-16 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

2  7-8 

1  7-16 

2  7-8 

1  5-16 

2  7-8 

1  5-16 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

4  1-16 

2  5-16 

1  1-8 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

2  7-8 

1  7-16 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

3  3-16 

1  1-2 

2  7-8 

1  5-16 

3  1-16 

1  7-16 

4  3-8 

2  1-2 

1  1-8 

2  7-8 

1  5-16 

4  1-4 

2  1-2 

1  1-8 

2  7-8 

1  5-16 

3  3-16 

1  1-2 

3  3-8 

1  1-2 

2  7-8 

1  7-16 

THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


33 


TABLE  SHOWING  THE  LENGTH  OF  THE  SIDE  b  C 


Place  b c 


Inches 

Albany . 

4  11-16 

Baltimore . 

4  1-16 

Boston . 

4  1-2 

Buffalo . 

4  11-16 

Charleston . 

3  1-4 

Chicago . 

4  1-2 

Cincinnati . 

4  1-16 

Cleveland . 

4  1-2 

Denver . 

4  3-16 

Detroit . 

4  1-2 

Indianapolis . 

4  1-16 

Kansas  City . 

3  15-16 

Louisville . 

3  15-16 

Milwaukee . 

4  11-16 

New  Orleans . 

2  7-8 

Place 

b  c 

Inches 

New  York . 

4  3-8 

Omaha . 

4  3-8 

Philadelphia . 

4  3-16 

Pittsburg . 

4  3-8 

Portland,  Me . 

4  13-16 

Richmond . 

3  15-16 

Rochester . 

4  11-16 

San  Diego . 

3  1-4 

San  Francisco . 

3  15-16 

Savannah  . 

3  1-8 

St.  Louis . 

3  15-16 

St.  Paul . 

5 

Seattle . 

5  9-16 

Washington,  D.  C. . . 

4  1-16 

of  wood.  Attach  it  by  means  of  four  small  pins  at 
the  corners  of  the  inner  square.  Next,  with  another 
pin  punch  through  each  hour-point  upon  the  square, 
and  also  each  point  where  the  lines  touch  the  quarter- 
circles.  This  being  done,  remove  the  plan,  and  con¬ 
nect  the  points  with  light  pencil-lines  drawn  upon 
the  wood. 

The  hour-lines,  quarter-circles,  motto,  and  two 
inner  squares  may  now  be  carved  in  the  same  manner 
as  the  calendar  back.  The  figures  for  the  hours  may 
also  be  carved,  or  they  may  be  painted  in  black. 

3 


34  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


It  is  necessary, 
for  a  good  piece 
of  work,  to  have 
all  cuts  of  equal 
width,  and  to  fin¬ 
ish  them  neatly  at 
the  inner  end  with 
a  clean  straight 
cut  across. 

In  carving  the 
Roman  numerals 
care  should  be 
taken  not  to  cut 
over  the  edge  of 
the  wood,  —to  allow  a  small  margin  on  either  side  the 
figure, —and  in  the  case  of  VIII  it  may  be  necessary 
to  break  the  inner  squares  to  accommodate  it. 

The  shadow-piece,  or  gnomon,  is  planned  by  the 
second  table,  and  cut  as  shown  in  Fig.  18.  Note  that 
the  grain  runs  parallel  with  the  edge  which  is  to  be 
fastened  to  the  dial-plate.  Edges  a  and  b  must  be 
perfectly  true  and  straight,  the  one  because  it  rests 
upon  the  base,  the  other  because  it  throws  the  shadow 
which  shall  mark  the  hour. 

The  back  edge  c  is  unimportant,  and  may  be  cut 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


35 


Fig.  18 


into  a  shallow  curve  to  relieve  the  rigidity 
of  the  piece.  Procure  some  round-head 
steel  or  brass  screws,  g"  long.  Next  bore 
with  the  small  brad-awl  holes  at  a,  b, 
c,  d,  Fig.  17,  and  placing  the  pieces 
so  that  the  grain  of  the  upper 
square  crosses  that  of  the  lower 
(Fig.  19),  set  in  the  screws. 

This  crossing  the  grain 
prevents  warping  to  a  large 
degree. 

The  edges  of  both  pieces  may  be  slightly  beveled 
by  passing  the  coarse  sandpaper  over  them. 

Upon  the  dial-plate,  in  the  space  left  for  fastening 
the  shadow-piece,  bore  two  small  holes  a  little  smaller 
than  the  screws  to  be  used,  being  careful  to  penetrate 
straight  into  the  wood.  The 
screw  must  be  placed  far 
enough  back  from  the  point  of 
the  gnomon  to  avoid  any  pos¬ 
sibility  of  its  showing  through 
the  shadow-edge. 

After  these  holes  are  bored 
(see  Fig.  20),  set  the  screws  in 
from  the  back  of  the  base  piece, 


Fig.  19 


36  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Fig.  20 


allowing  only  the  points  to 
appear.  A  g"  or  f  - "  flat  screw 
will  be 
needed  here, 
r  es  s  the 
shadow  -  piece 
I / down  upon  them, 
so  that  it  is  indented 
by  the  screw-points,  as  in 
Fig.  21.  This  shows  you  ex¬ 


actly  where  to  bore  the  holes,  and  it  only  remains  to 
fit  the  shadow-piece  in  place  and  set  the  screws  to 
their  heads. 

Next  prove  that  your  shadow-piece  stands  square 
with  the  base  by  using  the  try-square.  Now  finish 
with  a  light  stain  or  a  coat  of  white  shellac,  whic 
may  be  obtained  at  any  paint-store. 

The  dial  must  be  set  exactly  level  upon  a  post, 
garden  wall,  or  porch  where  it  will  receive  the  sun 
from  morning  to  night.  You  may  either 
screw  it  down,  or  mark  its  place  and 
set  it  out  only  in  sunny  weather. 

The  method  of  adjusting  is  as 
follows  :  At  the  precise 
second  of  noon,  standard 


Fig.  21 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING  37 

time,  turn  the  dial  so  that  the  shadow  of  the  gnonom 
shall  fall  exactly  between  the  two  lines  M,  M',  Fig. 
17,— that  is,  the  hour  marked  XII,— and  fix  it  in  po¬ 
sition.  Watch  it  for  several  days  to  verify  the  time, 
and  your  dial  will  continue  to  give  correct  solar  time 
throughout  the  year. 

A  sun-dial  nowadays  is  not  a  necessity  in  most 


Fig.  22 


places,  but  it  may  be  useful  in  remote  country  dis¬ 
tricts  to  regulate  the  clocks. 

A  more  permanent  one  may  be  made  of  brass  oi 
copper  ;  but  the  little  wooden  one,  if  carefully  made, 
will  do  good  service. 

PROBLEM  III— PICTURE-FRAME 
This  frame  for  photographs  or  small  pictures  may 
be  constructed  to  stand  upon  a  table  or  mantel  as 


38  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


here  given,  or  it  may 
be  made  to  hang  upon 
the  wall,  in  which  case 
the  standards  are 
omitted.  The  best 
frame  will  be  that  one 
which  is  designed  with 
reference  to  a  special 
picture. 

Cut  the  stock  of 
or  A"  basswood  to  f" 
wider  and  longer 
than  the  finished  de¬ 
sign.  The  pattern,  of 
course,  should  first  be  designed  upon  paper,  as  in 
the  previous  problems. 

Square  to  the  dimensions  given  in  Fig.  24,  work¬ 
ing  in  the  regular  way  and  proving  with  try-square 
and  rule.  The  best  method  of  doing  this  is  always 
to  square  one  side,  then  the  opposite  ;  then  one  end, 
and  the  opposite. 

Measure  If"  from  the  outer  edge  all  around,  and 
then  inside  that,  as  in  Fig.  24. 

This  inner  square  is  to  aid  in  cutting  out  the  cen¬ 
ter,  and  should  have  a  hole  bored  in  each  corner. 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


39 


The  holes  minimize  the  danger  of  splitting  and  of 
cutting  over  the  limiting  line  b.  They  also  enable 
you  to  cut  from  both  sides  and  thus  penetrate  the 
wood  more  quickly. 

Trim  the  wood  down  exactly  to  the  line  b,  taking 
care  to  keep  your  cut  across  the  grain  deeper  than 
your  cut  with  the  grain,  else  there  will  be  great 
danger  of  splitting  out. 

Upon  another  piece  of  wood  lay  out  and  cut  two 
pieces  like  Fig.  26,  so  that  the  edge  a  is  perfectly 
square. 

You  will  now  need  three  short  pieces  f"  wide  by 
3-jV'  long,  and  squared  carefully,  as  in  a,  a,  a,  Fig.  25, 
and  one  piece  f"  X  2-J"  like  5,  Fig.  25. 


Fig.  24  Fig.  25 


40  THE  AET  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGIHNEES 

Upon  the  back  of  your  frame  draw  a  line  just  from 
the  opening  and  all  around  it,  as  shown  in  Fig.  25. 

Procure  some  small  screws  not  greater  than 
diameter,  and  first  boring  holes  with  the  brad-awl 
from  the  ends  of  the  strip -pieces,  as  in  Fig.  27,  back 
view,  set  the  screws  in  with  their  points  just  ap¬ 
pearing,  as  before  described.  Prepare  all  pieces  in 
this  way,  pressing  them  upon  the  frame  and  thus 
indicating  where  the  screws  will  set  in  to  the  back. 

Having  heated  the  glue,  prepare  a  small  chip  to  be 
used  as  a  spreader.  The  chip  is  better  than  a  brush, 
because  it  spreads  the  glue  evenly  and  thinly  and 
may  be  thrown  away  after  using. 

Spread  all  pieces,  and  place  and  set  in  the  screws. 

At  this  point  it  will  be  safe  to  carve  the  decora¬ 
tion  upon  the  front  of  frame,  first,  of  course,  trans¬ 
ferring  your  lines  with  carbon  paper.  The  width 
and  depth  of  the  cuts  is  a  matter  of  choice,  but 
care  must  be  taken  not  to  cut  through  the  wood. 

In  attaching  the  standards  the  side  a ,  Fig.  26,  is,  of 
course,  glued  so  that  the  frame  shall  set  at  an  angle 
as  shown  in  Fig.  27,  side  view.  In  addition,  a  screw 
should  be  inserted  at  c  and  another  at  d,  or  small 
brads  would  do  in  these  places. 

The  picture  is  inserted  in  the  rectangle  formed  by 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


41 


Fig.  26  Fig-  27 


these  back  pieces,  and  is  held  in  place  by  pins  or 
brads  at  the  sides. 

For  another  method  of  applying  the  design,  see 
chapter  on  Pyrography. 

In  the  matter  of  color,  some  combination  of  brown, 
red,  and  green  toned  to  a  unity  would  be  satisfac¬ 
tory  here ;  say  a  tone  of  burnt  umber  over  all,  with 
the  conventionalized  leaf  touched  in  with  pure  green 
and  the  blossom  pure  red.  (See  Fig.  23.) 

The  principle  of  harmony  in  the  character  of  the 
decoration  and  the  outline  form  is  here  illustrated : 
a  geometric  rendering  of  a  flower  which  repeats  the 
square  corners  and  angles  of  the  frame. 

Although  this  principle  may  be  carried  to  the 
point  of  monotony,  it  is  in  general  a  safe  one  to 
follow. 


42  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

PROBLEM  IV — ENVELOP-HOLDER 

Of  the  many  articles  that  can  be  made  from  thin 
wood  with  the  knife,  I  have  selected  this  little  object 
as  one  to  be  developed  here,  because  it  has  proved 
very  useful  and  can  easily  be  made  quite  ornamental. 

Five  pieces  are  necessary  in  its  construction,  as 
shown  in  the  side  and  end  views,  Fig.  29. 

The  stock  used  is  clear  basswood.  Cut  and 
square  up  carefully  the  side  pieces  to  the  dimensions 
given,  3"  x  50,  The  pattern  is  made  by  folding  and 
cutting  as  described  in  the  making  of  the  calendar- 

lo^iiCk 

After  cutting  both  sides,  place  them  together  and 
trim  so  as  exactly  to  match  each  other.  The  lower 
edge,  a,  must  be  accurately  squared  to  insure  the 

vertical  set  of  the  sides. 

The  bottom  piece  is 
cut  to  exactly  2"  x  5". 
In  this  it  is  important 
that  the  long  edges  be 
quite  true. 

Now  upon  the  paper 
pattern  place  a  point 
from  the  bottom  and 


Fig.  28 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


43 


from  the  end,  as 
in  Fig.  29,  and 
draw  one  half 
the  design  here 
given,  or  any 

design  not  too  - 5 - - >  < - —  3f 

difficult  to  carve  Fi£- 29 

and  that  will  fit  the  space  well.  Your  experience  in 
carving  up  to  this  point  will  enable  you  to  judge  in 
this  matter. 

One  half  the  design  being  drawn,  complete  it  by 
folding  on  the  center  and  rubbing  over.  Strengthen 
all  the  lines  with  a  clear  black  pencil  and  transfer 
the  whole  to  the  wood  by  rubbing  over  the  back  of 
the  whole  design. 

Carve  the  design  upon  both  side  pieces. 

For  an  object  of  this  kind  a  symmetrical  design  is 
better  than  an  irregular  pattern,  and  indeed  this  is 
true  in  the  majority  of  objects  treated  in  this  book. 

Take  the  bottom  piece  and,  placing  it  edge  down 
upon  the  side  piece,  as  shown  in  Fig.  30,  draw  a  line 
close  along  the  wood.  At  the  points  a,  b  make  holes 
through  the  side  and  insert  brads.  These  pieces 
— sides  and  bottom — are  then  glued  and  nailed  in 
the  manner  described  in  the  preceding  article  on  the 


44  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


frame.  The  glue  which  oozes  out  around  the  edges 
must  be  scraped  away  while  it  is  still  wet ;  a  bit  ol 
the  basswood  will  do  this  very  nicely.  In  the  mat¬ 
ter  of  gluing,  it  is  better  to  have  over-much  than 
over-little,  and  therefore  the  oozing  out  around  edges 
is  a  good  sign. 

The  two  standards  or  legs  are  cut  from  the  same 
i"  stock,  the  piece  being  first  squared  to  x  V 
(Fig.  31). 

Find  the  center  of  this  piece  and  lay  off  the  width 
of  your  case  from  the  center  on  both  sides.  Fig.  31 
shows  the  measurements  of  this  piece,  and  Fig.  29, 
end  view,  the  ultimate  shape. 

The  notch  must  be  carefully  cut  down  to  fit  the 
body  of  the  holder.  Keep  trying  the  two  pieces 
to  avoid  cutting  too  wide.  Lastly,  the  corners  are 
rounded  off  smooth  and  all  parts  finished  with  sand¬ 


paper. 

Brads  or  screws  are  inserted  at  c,  c, 


Fig.  29,  the 


Pig.  30 


Fig.  31 


THIN  WOOD  WORKING 


45 


edges  of  the  legs  are  covered  with  glue  and  the  whole 
put  together. 

The  staining  and  waxing  are  done  as  before  de¬ 
scribed. 

In  comparing  the  design  given  in  Fig.  28  with 
that  of  the  frame  or  the  calendar-back,  you  will 
note  the  heavier  curves  of  the  tulip  harmonizing 
with  the  outer  form.  All  spaces  are  of  necessity 
kept  large  and  simple.  A  little  stronger  group  of 
colors  may  be  used  in  this  article,  giving  to  the  whole 
a  greater  aspect  of  solidity— we  will  say  a  dull  green 
background,  a  bright  green  leaf,  and  a  full  orange- 
blossom. 


PROBLEM  V-PENCIL-BOX 

The  length  of  the  average  pencil  is  about  7",  but 
in  order  that  our  box  may  be  available  for  pens  we 
will  make  the  inside  measurements  8£".  The  stock 
will  be  iV'  thick,  and  we  must  allow  a  little  margin 
on  each  end,  so  the  side  pieces  will  need  to  be  each 
9"  long.  As  the  height  is  to  be  1J"  exactly,  we  will 
cut  stock  for  the  sides  9"  x  If".  There  will  be  two 
pieces  of  these  dimensions.  The  width  inside  is  to 
be  2",  therefore  the  ends  must  be  cut  2^"  x  If". 
The  grain  will  in  every  case  run  the  long  way. 


46  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Fig.  34 


Square  up  the  sides  and  ends  so  that  all  pieces 
when  placed  together  will  prove  absolutely  true  on 
their  long  edges.  Do  not  at  this  point  square  the 
ends,  for  it  will  be  labor  wasted. 

The  joint  used  in  this  construction  is  called  a 
mortise  and  tenon,  consisting  of  a,  the  mortise,  and 
b,  the  tenon,  Figs.  34,  35. 

The  mortise  is  cut  in  the  side  and  the  tenon  upon 
the  end,  and  we  will  cut  out  the  mortise  as  follows : 
The  distance  between  the  cuts  of  the  mortise,  Fig. 
34,  is  the  inside  measure  of  the  box,  8V'.  This  dis¬ 
tance  must  be  carefully  measured  so  as  to  allow  equal 
distances  on  the  ends  (about  i")- 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


47 


Having  squared  the  lines  upon  one  piece,  Fig.  32, 
place  both  sides  together  and  mark  the  exact  length 
upon  the  second  piece. 

Both  for  looks  and  for  construction  strength  it  is 
better  to  have  the  width  of  the  mortise  about  one 
half  the  width  of  the  side,  so  we  shall  measure  f" 
from  the  side  on  each  end  and  draw  lines  for  thb 


mortise  as  shown  in  Figs.  32  and  33. 

All  four  ends  being  accurately  laid  out  upon  the 
wood,  we  shall  cut  the  mortise  after  the  method 
demonstrated  in  Fig.  36. 

Starting  a  small  vertical  cut  at  a,  Fig.  36,  cut  in 
obliquely  to  meet  it,  then  on  the  other  side,  and  so 
on  gradually  cutting  down  to  the  line.  All  four 
mortises  should  be  trimmed  to  fit  exactly  before 
proceeding  with  the  tenons. 

These  last  are  laid  out  on  the  end  £ 

pieces  in  exactly  the  same  manner  and  e  i 

to  the  same  size  as  the  mortises,  the  dis¬ 
tance  between  cuts  being  2", 
which  is  the  width  of  the  box 
(Fig.  35). 

Do  not  fall  into  the  easy 
mistake  of  cutting  a  mortise 
on  all  four  pieces,  or  of  cutting  Fig.  38  Fig.  39 


48  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

a  mortise  on  one  end  and  a  tenon  upon  the 

other.  . 

In  the  tenon  the  corners  are  first  trimmed,  as  m 
Fig.  37,  then  the  wood  carefully  notched  out  to  the 

line.  .  .  . 

As  yon  approach  the  line,  however,  keep  trying 


Fig.  40 


the  tenon,  to  make  sure  of  a  tight  fit.  When  you 
have  secured  such  a  fit,  mark  that  tenon  and  its  cor¬ 
responding  mortise  1, 1,  and  proceed  with  the  others, 
2  2  etc# 

’  They  should  fit  snugly,  but  not  so  tight  as  to 
endanger  splitting.  On  the  other  hand,  there  should 
be  no  gaps  or  angles  between  the  fitted  parts,  so  you 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


49 


will  readily  understand  why  this  joint-making  is  the 
most  delicate  work  we  have  yet  attempted  with  the 
knife,  and  why  it  is  placed  in  the  last  problem  of  this 
chapter. 

All  work  here  should  be  done  with  the  knife-point, 
which  must  be  kept  very  sharp,  and  any  attempt  to 
sandpaper  out  the  corners  will  end  in  rounding  them 
and  spoiling  the  appearance  of  the  joint. 

This  brings  us  to  a  point  where  it  will  be  necessary 
to  use  the  hand-screws  (Tig.  40).  They  are  at  first 
puzzling  little  tools,  and  it  is  difficult  to  explain 
their  use  on  paper.  If  you  can  get  some  one  familiar 
with  them,  as  a  carpenter  or  furniture  maker,  to 
explain  their  adjustment  and  use,  that  is  the  best 
way. 

The  jaws  are  opened  or  closed  by  holding  the 
shorter  handle  in  the  left  hand ;  then,  grasping  the 
longer  one  in  the  right  hand,  turn  the  whole  tool 
about  upon  the  shorter  as  a  pivot. 

Two  of  these  tools  should  be  adjusted  to  the  height 
of  your  frame,  so  that  they  may  be  slipped  on 
quickly. 

All  parts  of  the  frame  which  are  to  come  in  con¬ 
tact  must  be  covered  with  glue  and  the  whole  frame 
fitted  together  with  the  hand-screws  adjusted  as  in 

4 


Fig.  41 


50  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

Fig.  40.  They  are  placed 
at  either  end,  to  insure  more 
pressure  upon  the  joint. 
The  screw  is  set  down  firmly 
by  turning  the  longerhandle. 
Before  tightening  finally,  true  up  the  corners 
inside  in  the  manner  shown  in  Fig.  41.  It 
is  essential  that  at  the  final  setting  the  screws  should 
.rip  evenly  alongthe  whole  length  of  the  jaw  (Fig.  40). 
^  Remove  the  surplus  glue,  and  leave  the  frame  m 

the  screws  for  ten  or  twelve  hours. 

While  waiting  for  the  glue  to  set,  proceed  with  t 
cutting  of  the  cover  and  bottom  piece.  They  are 
both  squared  to  the  same  size-that  is,  to  project  16 
beyond  the  frame  upon  all  sides.  If  your  measure¬ 
ments  have  been  accurate,  2|"  x  ty'  will  be  the  di¬ 
mensions  required  for  these  pieces. 

A  bevel  or  slanting  edge  is  cut  upon  the  up¬ 
per  sides  of  both  pieces.  A  line  is  run  all  aroiin 
£//  upon  the  top  and  upon  the  edge,  and  the 

wood  cut  away  to 
this.  This  is  called 
sometimes  a  bevel 
and  sometimes  a 
chamfer. 


Fig.  42 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


51 


To  complete  the  cover,  cut  a  third  piece,  which 
shall  measure  2"  x  8^",  or  just  small  enough  to  slip 
easily  into  the  box  frame.  See  section  view,  Fig.  43. 

When  the  glue  has  become  thoroughly  dry,  take 
off  the  hand-screws  and  trim  away  the  projecting 
ends  of  the  wood.  Cut  inward,  or  toward  the  center 
of  the  joint,  as  is  indicated  by  the  arrows  in  Figs. 
38,  39.  This  cutting  inward  is  to  avoid  splitting  of 
the  sides,  a  result  which  would  inevitably  follow  cut¬ 
ting  from  the  center  outward. 

After  these  joints  have  been  cut  nearly  down,  finish 
by  sandpapering  upon  a  smooth  block  covered  with 
00  sandpaper.  This  answers  the  double  purpose  of 
cleaning  and  smoothing  the  wood. 

As  the  more  delicate  parts  of  the  construction  are 


52  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

now  completed,  it  will  be  better  to  decorate  the 
whole  before  gluing  on  the  bottom. 

The  design  given  here  (Fig.  43)  is  adapted  to  both 
knife-carving  and  pyrography,  although,  from  its 
straight  lines,  it  is  best  for  the  former  method. 

Place  your  frame  upon  the  bottom  piece  in  such  a 
way  as  to  leave  an  even  margin  all  around,  and  make 
a  light  pencil-line  close  against  the  sides  to  denote 
their  thickness. 

Make  points  for  brads  or  very  thin  screws,  as  indi¬ 
cated  in  Fig.  42.  Cover  the  edges  with  glue,  and 
nail  or  screw  on  the  bottom.  It  will  not  be  necessaiy 
to  set  this  in  the  hand-screws,  for  the  brads  or  small 
screws  will  hold  the  pieces  while  they  dry.  The 
danger  in  using  both  brads  and  small  screws  in  thin 
wood  is  of  two  kinds :  that  of  splitting,  a  danger 
which  may  be  avoided  by  boring  small  holes  first ; 
and  that  of  driving  them  at  an  angle  so  that  they 
come  out  through  the  sides.  It  requires  great  care 
to  avoid  this  latter  catastrophe. 

The  piece  for  the  under  side  of  the  cover  may  be 
glued  on  now.  First  measure,  and  very  carefully 
mark  where  it  should  be  placed  upon  the  cover. 
Then  spread  thoroughly  with  glue,  and  clamp  solidly 
with  the  hand-screws. 


THIN  WOOD -WORKING 


53 


Let  us  review  the  danger-points  in  this  problem. 
They  are,  first,  cutting  the  joints  loosely,  or  forcing 
them  too  tightly  together  and  splitting  the  sides ; 
second,  driving  the  nails  or  screws  out  through  the 
sides  ;  third,  gluing  the  bottom,  sides,  or  cover  askew. 

The  box  is  finally  thoroughly  sandpapered,  and 
stained  and  waxed. 


CHAPTER  HI 


PYRO  GRAPH Y 


Design  for  a  Wooden  Box 
Design  for  a  Picture-frame 
Design  for  a  Mirror-back 
Design  for  a  Chest 


CHAPTER  III 

PYROGRAPHY 

PYROGRAPHY,  or  fire -etching,  is  the  art  of 
burning  a  design  upon  wood  or  leather  by  means 
of  a  red-hot  point. 

It  has  been  remarkably  popular  during  the  past 
few  years,  because  it  is  an  art  presenting  few  difficul¬ 
ties  to  the  beginner  and  pleasing  results  may  be 
quickly  obtained. 

Although  largely  used  upon  leather,  I  think  the 
best  results  with  this  medmm  are  to  be  had  from 
wood.  Indeed,  it  is  commonly  spoken  of  as  “  burnt 
wood-work.”  It  naturally  follows  the  chapter  on 
wood- working,  and  the  objects  made  with  the  knife 
may  be  decorated  in  this  manner ;  most  of  the  de¬ 
signs  given  in  the  previous  chapters  may  be  treated 
by  the  pyrography-point. 

57 


58  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


So  few  difficulties  arise  in  learning  to  handle  the 
tool  that  it  will  hardly  be  necessary  to  devote  as 
much  space  to  the  subject  as  I  have  found  necessary 
in  the  matter  of  wood-  or  metal-work  ;  a  few  sugges¬ 
tions  and  a  start  in  the  right  direction  will  enable 
one  to  go  on  and  work  out  a  mastery  of  this  medium. 

Let  me  further  say  that  there  is  no  method  of 
decoration  that  has  been  more  abused.  Various  por¬ 
traits,  pictures,  etc.,  have  been  caught  up  haphazard 
and  applied  to  all  sorts  of  objects,  without  regard 
to  fitness  or  harmony  in  any  sense. 

One  should  ever  keep  before  one  the  distinction  be¬ 
tween  a  picture  and  a  decoration,  and  remember 
that  the  latter  is  a  good  decoration  only  when  it  is 
carefully  considered  in  its  relation  to  the  object  upon 
which  it  is  placed,  harmonious  in  idea,  in  line,  and  in 
color-motive.  You  will  discover  that  pyrography 


PYROGRAPHY 


59 


has  its  own  particular  beauties  of  expression,  char¬ 
acteristics  which  nothing  can  usurp,— and  let  us  be 
content  to  limit  its  expression  to  these. 

A  fairly  good  machine  or  set  may  be  purchased 
for  live  dollars  of  any  art-dealer  or  large  department- 
store.  Printed  instructions  are  supplied  with  each 
set,  and  the  sales-clerk  is  usually  able  and  willing  to 
explain  the  method  of  working. 

The  principle  of  operating  is  this  :  A  glass  bottle 
is  partly  filled  with  benzine  ( A ,  Fig.  1).  This  is  con¬ 
nected  by  a  rubber  tube  with  a  bulb  or  bellows  B,  B , 
and  by  another  tube  with  a  hollow  aluminium  point 
C,  surrounded  by  a 
cork  handle  D  to 
protect  the  hand 
from  the  heat  and 
to  furnish  a  good 
grip.  In  addition, 
there  is  a  small 
alcohol  -  lamp  for 
heating  the  point. 

First  heat  the 
point  C  to  a  red 
heat  over  the  flame 
of  the  alcohol- 


60  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


lamp.  Then,  by 
squeezing  the  first 
bulb  B  with  the  left 
hand,  air  is  forced 
into  the  second  bulb 
B,  which  acts  as  a 
reservoir,  and  from  this  it  passes  to  the  benzine- 
bottle  A,  where  it  forces  the  gas  into  the  aluminium 
point,  which  is  thereby  fed  and  kept  hot. 

The  rest  is  simply  a  matter  of  drawing,  lightly  or 
heavily,  with  the  hot  point  upon  the  wood. 

There  are  two  tendencies  with  the  beginner.  The 
first  is  to  become  so  absorbed  in  the  point  that  one 
forgets  to  press  the  bulb,  in  which  ease  the  point 
becomes  cold.  The  second  is  to  rest  the  heated  point 
upon  the  wood,  with  the  result  of  burning  a  deep 
hole. 

But  one  soon  acquires  skill  and  facility  in  keeping 
up  the  air  supply  mechanically,  very  much  as  one 
almost  unconsciously  learns  to  ride  a  bicycle,  etc. ; 
and  the  control  of  the  burner  is  acquired  with  equal 
readiness. 

The  point  is  constructed  as  shown  in  Fig.  1,  C,  to 
give  a  fiat  side  for  surfaces  and  an  edge  for  lines. 

Points  of  various  sizes  arid  shapes  may  be  purchased, 


PYROGRAPHY 


61 


but,  as  they  are  rather  expensive,  I  would  advise  the 
use  of  one  point  only  for  a  time. 

A  fine-grained  wood  is  the  best  for  burning.  Bass¬ 
wood  and  whitewood  are  commonly  used. 

A  great  variety  of  articles  for  decoration  may  be 
purchased  at  any  art-  or  department-store— anything 
from  a  napkin-ring  to  a  piano-stool  and  a  bogus 
wooden  tankard.  The  stamped  designs  purchasable 
at  these  places  are  usually  of  wretched  selection,  and 
have  little  or  no  decorative  merit.  It  is  better  to 
avoid  these  and  buy  a  blank  article ;  then  draw 
your  own  design  upon  it.  Copy  some  good  piece  of 
ornament,  or  get 
some  artist  friend 
to  design  for  you. 

Pyrography  may 
be  used  very  effec¬ 
tively  with  either 
oil-  or  water-color. 

(See  Wood  work  - 
ing.) 

Considering  the 
designs  given  here, 
we  find  Fig.  2  is 
adapted  to  a  square 


62  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


box,  and  requires  that  one  should  use  outline  only 
as  in  the  upper  part,  or  else  burn  in  a  solid  mass 
either  with  the  flat  or  the  point,  as  in  the  lower  cor¬ 
ner.  Fig.  3  is  the  side  view  of  the  same  decoration. 

The  animal  form  in  Fig.  4  is  adapted  to  fit  the 
same  box  and  to  occupy  the  same  space.  The  adap¬ 
tation  of  this  creature  to  the  side  of  the  box  I  leave 
to  the  ingenuity  of  the  student. 

This  free  use  of  the  animal  form  is  perfectly  allow¬ 
able  in  ornament,  and  if  one  cares  at  all  for  the  gro¬ 
tesque,  it  is  interesting  to  see  into  how  many  forms 
one  may  fit  the  snake,  bird,  and  dragon.  The  Japa¬ 
nese  are  past  masters  in  this  art. 

Fig.  5  shows  one  quarter  of  a  circular  picture-frame, 
so  designed  that  the  apples  will  fill  in  the  space  ex¬ 
actly.  This  design  may  be  easily 
adapted  to  a  larger  frame  by 
widening  the  outer  and  inner  / 
borders. 

I  have  a  fondness  for  the 
apple  leaf,  fruit,  and  blos¬ 
som  in  decoration,  be¬ 
cause  it  has  a  certain 
ruggedness,  and  lends  it¬ 
self  to  deep,  rich  color 


Fig.  5 


PYROGRAPHY 


63 


in  the  fruit  and  leaf,  and  to  delicate 
effects  in  the  blossom. 

In  this  frame  the  background 
may  be  burnt  in  a  heavy,  deep, 
stippled  manner,  and  the  fruit 
and  leaf  stained  with  a  mottled 
red  and  green,  which  blend 
into  each  other  as  they  do  in 
nature. 

The  half  of  a  mirror-back 
(Fig.  6)  is  illustrative  of  the 
same  principle  of  line  harmony,  and 
may  be  appropriately  finished  with  a 
coat  of  wax  over  the  rich  brown  burning. 

The  three  objects  here  treated— box,  mir¬ 
ror,  and  frame — are  articles  naturally  and 
consistently  made  from  wood,  and  do  not  vio¬ 
late  a  sense  of  fitness,  as  do  the  wooden 
tankards  and  candlesticks  in  vogue. 

As  in  the  other  crafts,  it  is  well  to  try 
some  preliminary  work  upon  scraps,  and  for 
this  purpose  any  clear,  smooth  wood  will  do. 

Try  the  effect  of  dragging  the  flat  side  of 
the  tool  across  the  wood  lightly  and  quickly, 
and  again  heavily  and  slowly.  Experiment 


Pig.  6 


64  THE  A  RT  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


with  fine  light  lines  and  deeply  sunken  lines.  Other 
effects  may  be  obtained  by  stippling  or  dotting  with 
the  point,  and  so  on.  With  the  flat,  the  edge,  and 
the  point  of  one  tool,  and  the  infinite  variety  of 
pressure  that  the  hand  is  capable  of,  you  will  be  able 
to  produce  almost  any  effect  of  line  or  background. 

You  will  probably  find  that  in  burning  straight 
with  the  grain  there  is  a  spasmodic  tendency  to  hitch 
as  you  go  along,  producing  a  broken,  spotty  effect. 

One  should  at  first  try  to  overcome  this  ;  but  later 
it  may  be  used  deliberately  to  produce  certain  heavy 
backgrounds. 

A  characteristic  effect  of  pyrography  is  that  the 
wood  is  scorched  on  both  sides  of  the  line  burned,  so 
that  an  outline  will  be  much  heavier  when  executed 
upon  the  wood  than  in  the  design  on  paper. 

To  get  the  effect  upon  paper,  draw  your  design 
with  a  soft  lead-pencil  or  a  crayon-point,  and  then 
rub  over  all  the  lines  lightly  with  your  finger,  produc¬ 
ing  a  slight  blur,  which  will  resemble  the  burnt  line. 

I  have  always  felt  that  best  results  with  this  medium 
could  be  obtained  by  rather  rich  and  heavy  line  and 
background  burning.  Yet  on  a  small  object  one  must 
be  careful  not  to  overdo  this  to  the  degree  of  making 
the  ornament  too  conspicuous. 


PYROGRAPHY 


65 


Many  very  delicate  portraits  have  been  burnt  upon 
wood  by  this  means,  but  the  danger  here  is  in  trying 
to  imitate  laboriously  effects  much  better  left  for  the 
brush. 

To  return  to  the  designs.  The  easiest  method  of 


reproducing  is  to  enlarge  one  section,  such  as  one 
quarter  of  the  picture-frame  (Fig.  5),  or  the  box  de¬ 
sign  (Fig.  2),  then  pin  this  to  the  object  and  transfer 
to  the  three  other  sections  by  carbon-paper.  The 
pin-points  should  be  put  through  some  line  of  the 
design,  where  they  will  be  covered  with  subsequent 
burning. 

5 


66  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

The  apple  design  is  a  repeat,  in  all  of  its  lines,  of 
the  outline  of  the  frame  which  it  decorates.  This  is 
also  true  of  the  box  ornament. 

The  apple  design  applied  to  the  box  might  be 
pleasing,  but  would  not  be  as  harmonious,  while  the 
same  criticism  would  apply  to  the  box  design  adapted 
to  the  frame. 

Fig.  7  shows  the  three  side-panels  of  a  chest.  This, 
because  of  the  size  and  the  thickness  of  its  frame, 
would  stand  very  heavy  burning,  and  there  would  be 
an  affinity  between  this  treatment  and  the  character 
of  the  oak-tree. 

In  conclusion,  think  well  before  you  apply  your 
ornament.  The  meanest  material  and  the  crudest 
methods  in  the  hands  of  a  master  may  be  the  means 
for  a  wonderful  and  priceless  art  expression  ;  while  a 
piece  of  solid  gold  of  the  most  elaborate  workman¬ 
ship,  if  it  be  poor  and  commonplace  in  design,  is 
worth  only  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  gold. 


CHAPTER  IY 
¥ 

SHEET-METAL  WORK 


Problem 

Problem 

Problem 

Problem 

Problem 

Problem 


I  —  A  Small  Copper  Tray 
II  —  A  Brass  Sconce 

III  — A  Brass  Lamp-  or  Candle-shade 

IV  —  Lanterns 
V  —  Letter-box 

VI  — Copper  Bowl 


CHAPTER  IV 

SHEET-METAL  WORK 

WORKING  in  sheet-metal  has  something  sub¬ 
stantial  about  it-something  masculine  and 
enduring  which  appeals  to  students  and  especially 
to  boys. 

It  is  also  interesting  to  note  how  many  young 
women  have  begun  a  serious  study  of  this  craft  quite 
recently,  and  that  many  have  produced  work  in 
brass,  copper,  and  silver  of  much  artistic  merit. 

While  the  more  advanced  processes— such  as  heavy 
forming,  delicate  embossing  and  chasing,  and  enamel- 
ing__require  an  extensive  outfit  beyond  the  reach 
of  the  many,  a  great  deal  may  be  accomplished  with 
a  simple  equipment  at  a  comparatively  low  cost. 

69 


70  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


This  chapter  is  written 
to  aid  those  who,  with  lit¬ 
tle  or  no  technical  skill 


and  small  purses,  would 
like  to  produce  something 
practical  in  this  craft. 

Tools  and  Equipment.— 
While  not  absolutely  ne¬ 
cessary,  a  regular  work¬ 
bench  is  very  desirable  in 
this  work.  You  may  ob¬ 
tain  one,  such  as  is  sold  to 
manual  training-schools, 
for  about  $6. 

This  will  be  equipped 
with  a  wooden  vise.  In 
place  of  the  bench,  a 
heavy  table,  shelf,  or  win¬ 
dow-ledge  will  do. 

Without  the  bench  it 
will  be  necessary  to  pur¬ 
chase  a  metal  vise  that 


may  be  attached  to  the  shelf  or  table. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  necessary  tools,  with  their 

approximate  cost : 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


71 


1.  Small  pair  of  metal  shears . $0.30 

2.  Small  rivet  set . 20 

3.  Ball-peen  hammer,  medium  size  ...  .40 

4.  Hard-wood  mallet,  length  of  head  6  in., 

one  end  ground  to  a  hemisphere  .  .  .  .25 

5.  Medium  wood  rasp . 15 

6.  Medium  half-round  file . 15 

7.  Bat-tail  file . 20 

8.  Nail  set . 15 

9.  Flat  pliers . 20 

10.  Round  pliers . 20 

Necessary  materials  are : 

Several  sheets  of  fine  emery-paper  .  .  .  .05 

20-,  10-,  and  6-penny  wire  nails. 

Hard-wood  block,  oak  or  hickory,  surfaces 
squared  to  12"  x  4"  x  3". 

Soft-wood  block,  surfaces  squared  free 
from  knots,  9"  x  12"  x  2" 

Soft  sheet-copper,  gage  21  .  .  .  per  lb.  .23 

Soft  sheet-brass,  gage  24  ...  .  per  lb.  .20 

Small  block  of  metal,  3"  x  4"  x  1",  to  be 
used  for  riveting.  This  sometimes  may 
be  procured  from  the  scraps  of  an  iron- 
foundry  or  stove-store. 

Small  copper  rivets . per  lb.  .40 

PROBLEM  I— A  SMALL  COPPER  TRAY 
The  making  of  a  small  copper  tray  constitutes  a 
simple  problem  of  hammering  and  bending.  The 
first  consideration  must  be  for  the  design. 


72  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

Take  a  sheet  of  paper  large  enough  to  allow  for  a 
good  margin  all  around,  and  draw  the  diagram  Fig. 
1  according  to  measurements  given,  being  very 
careful  to  get  the  lines  at  right  angles.  This  can  best 
be  done  upon  the  drawing-board  with  T-square  and 
triangles. 

Upon  one  side  of  the  line  A~B,  within  the  smallest 
rectangle  draw  a  simple  radiating  pattern  that  will 
repeat  well  as  a  symmetrical  design.  It  is  necessary 
to  draw  only  one  half,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2. 

Work  in  a  single  clear,  clean  line,  remembering 
that  there  is  a  difference  between  the  line  of  a  de¬ 
signer  and  that  of  an  artist.  The  line  of  the  artist 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


73 


should  be  free  and 
sketchy,  but  in  this 
work  a  definite  line  is 
best. 

The  method  of  fold¬ 
ing  and  transferring 
the  pattern  by  rubbing 
on  the  back  has  already 
been  explained  in  Thin 
W  OOD-WORKING. 

Cut  the  paper  upon 
the  lines  marked 
heavily  in  Fig.  3,  leav¬ 
ing  a  flap  at  the  top. 

We  are  now  ready  for  the  metal.  Cut  a  piece  oi 
copper  to  exactly  6"  x  7",  marking  it  out  carefully  and 
cutting  near  the  joint  of  the  shears.  If  this  is  done 
each  time  metal  is  cut,  it  will  prove  the  easier  way. 

It  will  probably  be  necessary  to  smooth  the  metal 
by  laying  it  upon  a  hard-wood  block  and  striking  it 
squarely  with  another  block.  Next  round  off  the 
corners  slightly,  as  shown  in  Fig.  4,  and  draw  a  pencil¬ 
line  from  the  edge  upon  all  sides.  In  the  middle 
of  the  border  thus  formed  punch  holes  as  indicated 
in  Fig.  4. 


74  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


More  holes  than  this  are 
not  necessary  ;  fewer  will  not 
hold  the  metal  firmly. 

The  metal  must  next  be 
screwed  to  the  soft-wood 
block.  Place  it  at  about  the 
center,  and  start  the  screws 
with  the  hammer  in  the 
middle  holes  A-B.  Set  them 
down  to  the  head  with  the 
screw-driver,  being  sure  that 
the  metal  lies  flat  between, 
Fis-4  thensetin  C-D,E-F,  and  so  on. 

Should  we  set  in  the  corners  first,  the  metal  might 
bend  up  in  the  middle  and  when  we  began  to  stamp 
would  vibrate  under  the  tool. 

Take  care,  then,  that  the  metal  lies  as  flat  as  possi¬ 
ble  between  each  screw-head. 

Now  adjust  the  design  as  shown  in  Fig.  5,  so  that 
the  paper  comes  well  within  the  screw-heads. 

Put  thumb-tacks  through  the  flap  at  the  top  of  the 


paper  into  the  wood,  leaving  three  edges  of  the  paper 
loose. 

Slip  a  piece  of  carbon-paper  beneath,  and  transfer 
by  going  over  all  lines  with  a  hard  pencil. 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


75 


You  may,  by  this  arrangement,  lift  the  paper  to 
watch  the  transfer  of  lines,  and  the  tacks  at  the  top 
will  hold  the  design  so  that  it  will  fall  back  in  place. 

As  you  work  over  the  metal  the  passage  ot  the 
hand  is  likely  to  erase  the  carbon-lines  ;  therefore  it 
will  be  necessary  to  scratch  in  or  engrave  them. 

Take  a  6-penny  wire  nail  and,  setting  it  in  the  vise 
between  two  scraps  of  soft  wood,  file  it  to  a  conical 
point  with  the  flat  side  of  the  half-round  file  (Fig.  6). 

The  soft-wood  scraps 
answer  two  purposes : 
they  clutch  the  nail 
more  firmly  and,  if 
the  faces  of  the  vise 
are  wood,  prevent 
scarring  the  vise.  File 
on  the  forward  stroke, 
taking  a  long  and 
steady  rather  than  a 
short,  jerky  move¬ 
ment. 

With  this  little 
scratch- awl  held  near 
the  point,  go  over 
your  carbon-lines  and 


Fig.  5 


76  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Pig.  6 


set  them  in  lightly,  thus  obviating  all 
danger  of  erasing  the  lines. 
The  design  is  to  be  brought 
out  by  stamping  the  background. 

This  process  raises  the  design  in 
a  sort  of  embossing  or  repousse. 

Repousse  in  its  proper  sense  is 
beating  np  from  the  back, and  with 
metal-workers  in  a  thoroughly 
equipped  shop  this  is  done  upon  a  bed  of  soft  pitch. 

But  a  low  relief  and  a  very  interesting  contrast  of 
texture  may  be  obtained  by  using  a  piece  of  clear, 
soft  pine  for  a  bed. 

For  this  work  two  more  tools  will 
be  necessary,  both  of  which  can  be 
readily  made  by  the  student.  File 
a  10-penny  nail  straight  across  the 
point  so  as  to  produce  a  small  square 
stamp  (Fig.  7,  a).  Then  file  a  20- 
penny  nail  to  the  shape  indicated  in 
Fig.  7,  b.  Notice  that  this  last  tool 
is  not  sharp  on  the  edge,  but  has  a 
slight  thickness  like  the  blade  of  a 
screw  -  driver.  If  sharp  the  tool 
would  be  likely  to  perforate  the  metal. 


0 


£  J> 


Fig.  7 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


Both,  tools  should  be  care¬ 
fully  smoothed  with  emery- 
paper  so  as  to  get  rid  of  anj 
sharp  or 
cutting 


tool  heats 

it  and  Rs' 8 

takes  out  the  temper.  To  replace  this,  heat  the 
tool  to  a  red  heat  through  the  point  and  then  plunge 
it  into  cold  water  at  once. 

Various  sizes  of  tool  steel  may  be  purchased,  and 
metal-workers  use  this  for  making  the  many  tools 
needed  for  fine  chasing.  But  in  our  simple  work  I 
find  that  wire  nails  answer  very  well,  and  they  cer¬ 
tainly  have  the  advantage  of  being  cheap  and  easily 
obtainable.  The  square-ended  stamping-tool  is  held 
in  a  vertical  position  in  the  left  hand  and  struck 
squarely  with  the  hammer  held  in  the  right  hand 
(Fig.  8).  The  whole  background  is  covered  in  this 
manner,  care  being  taken  not  to  punch  too  deeply  and 
to  keep  the  stamping  of  an  even  depth  throughout. 


78  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Remember  that  you  are  working  in  cold  metal, 
and  that  high  relief  is  not  possible  or  desirable  in 
this  work.  Beating  up  into  high  relief  necessitates 
frequent  softening  of  the  metal  by  heating  or  an¬ 
nealing. 

Under  this  stamping  process  the  design  rounds  up 
smoothly  and  presents  a  pleasing  contrast  to  the 
roughened  background. 

For  stamping  a  piece  that  is  no  larger  than  this 
tray,  a  small  stamp  is  best. 


A  little  preliminary  practice,  to  accustom  the 
hand  muscles  to  the  tool,  will  be  necessary. 

This  simple  method  is  easily  learned,  and  good  re¬ 
sults  can  be  got  by  young  boys. 


The  second  tool  (b 


Fig.  7)  is  used  for  ac¬ 
centing  the  edges  of 
the  background  and 
for  sharpening 
the  lines.  It 
should  be  used 
sparingly  and 
only  after  everything  possible 
has  been  done  with  the  first 
tool. 

The  next  step  is  to  remove 


Fig.  9 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


79 


the  metal  from  the  block  and 
carefully  trim  off  the  rim 
containing  screw-holes. 

Upon  the  back  draw  a 
border  line  f "  from  the  edge, 
as  was  done  upon  the  face  in 
Fig.  1. 

Place  the  hard-wood  block 
in  the  vise  in  such  a  position 
that  the  f"  line  shall  come 
just  over  the  angle  of  the 
block.  The  embossed  or 
raised  side  will  be  next  the 
block.  Then  with  the  round 
end  of  the  mallet  beat  the 
center  of  the  side  over  the 
edge  of  the  block  as  in  Fig.  9. 

The  following  general  rule 
should  be  observed  iu  this 
work :  Never  strike  the 

metal  urith  metal,  or  upon 

,  .  L  i,  Fig- 12 

metal  wheu  it  can  be 

avoided.  The  use  of  a  wooden  mallet  upon  a 
wooden  block  keeps  the  metal  soft  and  pliable; 
whereas  a  hammer  would  rapidly  stiffen  it. 


80  THE  AET  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGINHEES 


The  work  will  now  resemble  Fig.  10.  Should  you 
beat  one  side  away  to  the  corner,  as  in  Fig.  11,  the 
tray  would  be  spoiled  in  its  appearance  and  it  would 
be  impossible  to  get  a  nicely  rounded  corner. 

After  each  side  has  been  beaten  down  in  the  mid¬ 
dle,  as  in  Fig.  10,  work  up  the  corner,  first  from  one 
side,  then  from  the  other,  so  that  it  shall  close  up 
evenly,  as  in  Fig.  12. 

This  should  be  done  with  the  round  end  of  the 
mallet,  which  will  fit  nicely  to  the  curves. 

How,  if  the  edges  are  rough,  file  them  with  the 
half-round  file,  using  its  flat  side  for  convex  curves 
and  its  round  side  for  concave.  The  corners  may  be 
reached  with  the  rat-tail  file.  The  tray  at  this  stage 
should  appear  like  Fig.  13. 

To  make  it  more  ornamental  in  outline,  hold  it  as 
shown  in  Fig.  14,  and  beat  the  sides  out  slightly  to 
form  an  even  curve.  The  amount  of  this  curving 
will  be  a  matter  of  individual  taste. 


81 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 

It  is  likely  that  tlie  tray  will  not  lie  flat  upon  the 
table,  owing  to  the  warping  caused  by  the  stamping 
process.  Place  it  upon  the  end  of  the  block,  as  in 
Fig.  15,  and  tap  with  the  mallet  upon  the  stamped 
parts  ;  this  will  gradually  flatten  it.  By  holding  the 
mallet  near  its  head  a  light  blow  is  obtained,  and  by 
holding  near  the  end  of  the  handle  a  heavy  blow  is 
the  result.  Let  this,  wAh  the  height  to  which  the 
mallet  is  raised,  control  the  blow,  and  do  not  at¬ 
tempt  to  force  the  tool  down  rigidly.  This  applies 
to  hammers  and  all  tools  of  like  consti  notion. 

Copper  may  be  cleaned  in  several  ways.  (See  for- 


82  THE  AET  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGINNEES 


mulse  at  the  end  of  this  section. )  It  may  be  colored 
either  by  slowly  heating  or  by  the  use  of  acids. 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


S3 


The  acid  coloring  is  more  permanent,  but  color 
produced  by  heating  slowly  over  a  flame  is  very 
beautiful,  and  may  be  renewed  as  often  as  desired. 

PROBLEM  II -A  BRASS  SCONCE 

A  most  interesting  problem  to  work  out  in  the 
method  of  the  tray  is  a  brass  sconce  or  candle-holder, 
such  as  was  used  for  lighting  a  century  ago.  As  a 
room  decoration  these  sconces  make  interesting  bits 
of  color  by  day,  and  give  out  a  softly  reflected  light 
at  night.  They  have  proved  a  very  popular  prob¬ 
lem  with  most  students. 

In  preparing  this  design,  as  in  all  others,  we  must 
first  consider  constructive  necessities.  W  hat  is  the 
purpose  of  a  sconce — what  its  use,  and  what  the 
shape  and  placing  of  its  principal  parts  1 

In  Fig.  16,  we  have  all  the  essential  parts  :  the 
back  piece,  consisting  of  a ,  the  reflector ;  and  e, 
the  border ;  with  d ,  the  hole  by  which  to  hang  it ; 
bracket  Z>,  composed  of  a  lower  part  to  attach  to  the 
back  ;  and  a  shelf  (see  side  view,  Fig.  16)  to  hold 
the  candle-cup,  c,  and  the  saucer,  s. 

All  of  these  parts  are  necessary,  and,  however  we 
may  change  their  size  and  proportion,  or  vary  the 


84  THE  AST  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGINNEES 


lines,  we  must  not  omit  any  or  change  their  relative 
positions. 

Let  me  here  emphasize  the  fact  that  utility  is  the 
first  consideration  5  beauty,  design,  and  ornament  are 
secondary. 

We  must  now  design  a  sconce  which  shall  have 
these  parts  in  their  proper 
relations,  but  with  the  ele- 
*  ment  of  beauty  added. 

I  Upon  the  paper  draw 

a  rectangle  exactly 
8" x  11”  (Fig.  17),  al¬ 
lowing  a  good  margin 
FL  all  around,  as  in  the 
tray,  and  on  one  side 
of  the  line  A  -B  design  the 
outline.  Avoid  complex 
curves  and  keep  the  outline 
simple,  varying  enough  only  to  make  it  interesting. 

It  is  best  to  make  the  design  the  full  height  of  the 
space  allowed,  so  that  the  reflector  can  accommo¬ 
date  a  long  candle  ;  but  the  width  of  it  is  determined 
by  the  number  of  candles  used,  or  by  the  taste  of 
the  individual. 

A  narrow  border  is  allowed  just  inside  the  outline, 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


85 


because  the  effect  would  be  bad  if  you  stamped  the 
background  quite  to  the  edge  of  the  metal.  Between 
this  border  and  the  reflector,  which  should  be  kept 
plain,  is  the  space  allowed  for  ornament. 

The  design  of  the  dragon,  or  salamander,  which  I 
have  used,  seems  well  adapted  for  this  purpose  ;  not 
only  because  we  may  take 
liberties  with  it  and  adapt 
it  to  almost  any  space, 
but  because  there  is  a 
poetic  or  mythologic  har¬ 
mony  of  idea  with  the  ele¬ 
ment  of  fire  (Fig.  18). 

This  design,  it  will  readily 
be  seen,  depends  princi¬ 
pally  upon  the  dragon  for 
its  interest ;  while  Fig.  19,  a 
simple  application  of  a  lily 
form,  depends  fully  as  much  upon  the  shape  of  the 
lower  part,  the  bracket,  etc. 

Having  completed  one  side  of  the  drawing,  fold  it 
upon  its  center  line  and  transfer  the  other  side  by 
rubbing,  thus  insuring  a  perfectly  symmetrical  pat¬ 
tern. 

The  brass,  gage  21,  is  cut  to  exactly  9"  X  12",  or 


86  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


the  same  size  as  the  soft-wood  block,  and  upon  this 
it  is  screwed,  observing  the  same  care  as  in  the  tray. 
As  the  design  is  limited  to  S^Xll",  this  allows 
all  around  for  the  screws  to  be  inserted. 

The  stamped  background  is  sufficiently  indicated 
in  Figs.  18  and  19  by  the  shaded  parts.  A  little 
higher  relief  is  desirable  in  the  sconce,  but  otherwise 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


87 


This  problem  involves  a 
new  process  in  the  attach¬ 
ing  of  the  bracket — that  is, 
riveting. 

It  also  necessitates  the 
drawing  of  three  other  pat¬ 
terns  :  the  bracket  or  shelf, 
the  saucer,  the  cup  or  ac¬ 
tual  holder. 

For  the  bracket,  fold  a 
sheet  of  medium  thick  p: 


A 


through  the  center 


(A-B  ;  Fig.  20),  and  cross  it  with  a  horizontal,  C-D. 

Below  C-D,  on  one  side  of  A-B,  design  a  curve 
for  the  lower  piece  of  the  bracket  (6,  Fig.  16). 

Above  C-D,  on  the  same  side  of  A-B,  draw  a 
space,  as  shown,  wide.  Fold  on  the  line  A— B  and 
cut  through  both  thicknesses,  thus  giving  the  full 


pattern  A-D  B-C. 

This  bracket,  being  for  one  candle  only,  does  not 
need  to  be  very  wide.  A  bracket  for  two  candles 
would  require  greater  width  to  support  the  saucers. 
The  part  above  C-D  supports  the  candles  and  is 
bent  out  over  the  block  to  a  right  angle  (see  Fig. 
16),  and  the  part  below  C-D  is  riveted  to  the  back- 
piece  of  the  sconce. 


88  THE  AET  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGINHEES 


With  the  compass  describe  a  2"  circle  directly  upon 
the  brass,  and  cut  this  out  to  form  the  saucer  or  drip- 
cup.  This  should  be  hollowed  to  hold  the  grease, 
and  it  is  easiest  done  in  the  following  manner :  Set 
the  hard-wood  block  on  end  in  the  vise,  and  with 
the  ball  end  of  the  hammer  strike  it  repeatedly  upon 
the  end  grain  until  an  even  hollow  is  formed,  as  in 
Fig.  21,  a. 


(7 

\ 

/ 

'[ 

, 

Kg.  21 


Then  with  the  round  end 
of  the  mallet  beat  the  metal 
disk  into  the  curve  thus 
formed,  until  it  takes  an 
even,  saucer  -  like  shape. 
Keep  turning  the  metal  with 
the  left  hand  while  you  beat 
with  the  right  (Fig. 
21,  b). 

To  finish  the  saucer, 
hold  it  upon  the  flat  end  of 
the  block  in  the  position 
shown  in  Fig.  22,  beating 
with  the  round  end  of  the 
hammer  just  within  the 
edge  to  round  up  and  give 
more  depth  (Fig.  22). 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


89 


Fig.  22 


A  cross-shaped  pattern  (Fig. 

23)  is  convenient  for  the  candle- 
holder.  This  may  be  drawn  di¬ 
rectly  upon  the  metal,  cut  out, 
and  finished  smoothly  on 
the  edges  with  emery- 
paper.  This  will  complete 
the  necessary  pieces,  and  at 
this  point,  before  bending, 
they  should  all  be  thor¬ 
oughly  cleaned  with  some  good  metal  polish.  Pow¬ 
dered  pumice  or  Putz  Pomade  does  very  well. 

The  next  step  is  to  punch  and  rivet  all  pieces,  and 
although  this  may  seem  a  little  difficult  at  first,  some 
previous  practice  upon  scraps 
of  metal  will  enable  even 
very  young  students  to  do  a 
neat  and  strong  pieceof  work. 

In  the  lower  part  of  the 
bracket-piece  punch  three 
holes  (Fig.  24),  one  hole  in 
the  center  of  each  saucer  and 
candle-holder,  and  of  course  a 
corresponding  hole  in  the  up¬ 
per  part  of  the  bracket,  as  at  a. 


Fig.  23 


90  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


METAuGt-otK 

Fig.  25 

This  punching  is  done  with  '  the  nail  set,  and 
upon  the  end  of  the  hard-wood  block  ;  and  the  ham¬ 


mer  should  be  used  in  this  case  as  a  striking  tool. 

Small  copper  rivets  may  be  purchased  for  about 
forty  cents  a  pound  of  any  hardware  dealer.  The 
washers  which  come  with  the  rivets  are  not  to  be 
used  in  this  problem. 

All  holes  should  be  punched  a  little  larger  than 
the  rivet.  The  process  of  punching  will  raise  a  slight 
rim  around  the  hole,  and  this  rim  should  first  be  filed 
a  little  and  then  beaten  flat  with  the  hammer  upon 
the  metal  block.  Should  this  close  the  hole  too  much 
you  may  twist  it  out  with  the  punch  or  the  reverse 
end  of  the  rat-tail  file.  The  rivet  should  just  slip 
into  the  hole,  for  if  it  fits  too  loosely  that  means 
trouble  in  riveting. 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


91 


3  ea 


The  hole  a,  Fig. 
24,  should  be 
26  from  the  edge. 

Bend  the  bracket  to  a  right  angle  by  setting  it  in 
the  vise  just  to  the  line  C-D  and  beating  it  over 
with  the  mallet. 

Bend  the  candle-holder  just  enough  to 
allow  it  to  fit  into  the  saucer,  and  set  the 
rivet  up  through  the  three  pieces,  as 
shown  in  Fig.  25. 

In  the  end 
of  the  rivet-set 
(Fig.  26)  you 
will  find  a  deep 
hole.  Fit  this 
over  the  end 
of  the  rivet,  as 
in  Fig.  27,  «, 
and  tap  the 
set  down  so 
as  to  close 
the  several 
pieces  of 
metal  well 

up  together.  Fig.  27 


92  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


The  actual  process  of  riveting  is  to  tap  the  end  of 
the  rivet  down  squarely  and  evenly,  spreading  it,  as 
in  Fig.  27,  b. 

Notice  that  the  rivet  is  not  beaten  off  close  with 
the  surface  of  the  metal,  but  some  thickness  is  al¬ 
lowed  for  strength.  The  rivet  spreads,  thus  clench¬ 
ing  the  two  or  more  plates  together.  The  result  of 
not  hitting  it  squarely  is  shown  in  Fig.  27,  c. 

Finish  by  tapping  it  on  the  edge  as  shown  in  Fig. 
27,  d,  thus  producing  a  rounded  head. 

Rivet  the  three  pieces  —  candle-holder,  saucer, 
bracket  —  together  (Fig.  25),  striking  from  above. 

Then  it  will  be 
more  conveni¬ 
ent  to  form  the 
holders  before 
riveting  to  the 
back  piece. 

Bend  the 
holder  at  points 
indicated  by  ar¬ 
row-heads  (Fig. 
28,  a),  so  that 
the  width  will 
just  take  an 


Fig.  28 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


03 


ordinary  candle — about 
This  is  done  with 
the  flat  pliers. 

Kext  bend  the  edge 
of  the  sides  with  the 
round  pliers  (Fig.  28,6)  ; 
then  the  points  are  rolled  outward  over  the  round 
pliers  to  resemble  c.  The  finished  holder  is  shown  at  d . 

The  main  part  e  should  be  straight,  or  nearly  so,  in 
order  to  hold  the  candle  firmly. 

Rolling  the  points  outward  enables  the  candle  to 
slip  in  easily,  and  the  curved  edges  clutch  it  and 
hold  it  straight. 

This  holder  may  be  varied  by  making  three  or 
only  two  arms.  If  there  are  but  two  they  should  be 
at  a  and  b,  Fig.  29. 

The  form  of  all  these  parts  may  be  varied  so  long 
as  they  answer  the  use  to  which  they  will  be  put. 
Many  of  these  slight  changes  will  suggest  themselves 
to  students,  who  will  thus  have  opportunity  to  bring 
individuality  into  the  work. 

There  remains  but  to  rivet  the  bracket. 

Place  it  carefully  upon  the  back  piece  and  mark 
the  center  hole  (Fig.  24,  6).  Punch  and  rivet  this 
first ;  then,  the  others. 


I 


94  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

The  files  and  emery-paper  should  be  used  to  finish 
up  all  edges. 

It  is  wonderful  how  much  the  color  of  the  metal 
and  the  difference  of  stamped  and  smooth  texture 
lends  to  the  design.  If  the  design  be  carefully  spaced 
with  due  regard  for  line  harmony  as  well,  crude 
workmanship  is  no  detriment,  and,  indeed,  in  the 
case  where  the  grotesque  animal  form  is  used  this 
crudeness  becomes  a  virtue.  I  have  only  to  refer  my 
readers  to  the  demons  and  gargoyles  of  Notre  Dame 
to  illustrate  this  fact. 

PROBLEM  III— A  BRASS  LAMP- OR  CANDLE-SHADE 

The  tray  and  the  sconce  have  called  for  a  rather 
heavy  metal,  but  the  perforated  shade  should  be 
made  of  a  somewhat  thinner  gage — 28  or  30.  (The 
gage  or  thickness  of  the  metal  decreases  as  the  num¬ 
bers  increase.) 

In  Fig.  30  we  have  what  appears  to  be  a  rather 
complex  diagram,  but  I  know  of  no  simpler  method 
of  developing  the  pattern  for  a  shade  upon  any  given 
dimensions,  and  on  analysis  this  method  will  be 
found  really  simpler  than  it  looks. 

Lay  out  upon  paper  the  diameters  of  the  larger 


Interesting  Examples  of  Sheet-metal  Work 

(Designed  and  executed  by  amateurs) 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


97 


and  smaller  circles  of  your  proposed  shade,  which 
must  he  determined  by  the  size  of  the  lamp  it  is  to 
fit.  These  circles  are  represented  at  A-D  and  B-C 
(Fig.  30). 

Draw  the  diameter  A-D. 

Project  this  downward  to  A7-D7  and  draw  L-M. 
Project  B  and  C  to  B7  and  C7.  From  A7  draw 
A7-B7  any  length  you  choose.  This  is  the  slant  or 
profile  of  the  shade.  Prolong  to  O.  Draw  O-C'-D7 
and  B7-C7-A7.  B7,  C7,  D7  is  the  side  view  of  the 

shade  ;  A,  B,  C,  D  is  the  top  view. 

From  these  must  be  developed  the  accurate  pat¬ 
tern. 

With  the  triangle  find  30°,  and 
bisect  this,  giving  15°,  K,  D,  Fig. 

30.  This  will  be  °f  the  circum¬ 
ference. 

With  O-A7  as  a  radius,  describe 
a  circle  (Fig.  31),  and  another 
circle  from  the  same  point  with 
O-B7  as  a  radius.  From  any  point, 

J,  on  the  large  circle  lay  off  with 
the  compass  21  equal  spaces  of  the 
length  of  K-D( Fig.  30),  and  from  K 
the  24thpoint  draw  M-0(Fig.  31.) 

7 


Fig.  30 


98  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


99 


Add  one  space  for  a 
lap  upon  which  to  rivet 
and  draw  A'-B'-O.  Cut 
out  on  the  heavy  lines, 

Fig.  31,  and  this  pattern, 
when  folded  so  that  M 
coincides  with  J,  will 
give  the  shade  A-B-C-D 
(Fig.  30). 

With  the  two  circles 
and  the  length  of  side 
given  you  may  develop  any  shade  in  this  manner. 

In  Fig.  32  is  given  the  pattern  for  one  side  of  a  square 
shade,  allowing  a  lap  for  riveting  over  each  corner. 
Or  a  square  shade  may  be  constructed  of  one  piece, 
as  in  Fig.  33.  This  last  pattern  wastes  considerable 
metal  and  is  not  as  strong  or  as  ornamental  as  the  first, 
but  has  the  advantage  of  requiring  rivets  in  only  one 
place. 

The  circular  shade  could  be  made  of  four  pieces  by 
first  constructing  the  entire  dia¬ 
gram,  as  explained,  and  then  cut¬ 
ting  in  fourths,  afterward  adding 
upon  the  brass  a  lap  at  every 
sixth  space. 


Fig.  32 


100  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

Of  course,  patterns  can  be  made  with  three,  five, 
six,  or  eight  faces,  after  the  manner  of  Fig.  32. 

Having  cut  the  circular  pattern  as  indicated,  fold 
under  the  flap,  and  then  fold  in  thirds  and  again 
double.  Mark  every  other  fold,  as  in  Fig.  34.  In  one 
of  the  sections  formed  by  this  folding  draw  one  half 

the  design.  Then 
bend  inward  on  the 
fold  A-B,  and  trans¬ 
fer  by  rubbing  on 
the  back— finishing 
one  symmetrical  unit. 
Strengthen  the  lines 
and  transfer  the  other 
units  by  rubbing  from 
the  first. 

Another  way  is  to 
prick  through  the 
lines  with  a  pin-point.  Or  draw  one  unit  on  a  separate 
piece  of  paper  and  transfer  into  each  space  with  car¬ 
bon-paper. 

A  well-proportioned  plain  border,  top  and  bottom, 
adds  to  the  finish. 

Glue  or  paste  the  pattern  upon  the  gage  28  brass, 
and  then  carefully  scratch  a  line  all  around  the  edge. 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


101 


The  perforating- tool  is  made  from  a  wire  nail  by 
simply  filing  it  to  a  long  conical  point,  and  the 
punching  is  done  upon  a  hard-wood  block. 

Perforate  the  whole  outline  and  background  with 
holes  of  about  uniform  size  and  spread  evenly  over 
the  surface.  Of  course  it  is  not  necessary  or  desirable 
to  arrange  these  perfor¬ 
ations  in  even  rows. 

The  outline  may  be  cut 
with  a  tool  similar  to  the 
straight  tool  used  in  the 
tray,  filing  it  to  a  cut¬ 
ting  edge.  If  this  is 
done,  see  that  a  suffi¬ 
cient  space  is  left  between  each  cut  to  prevent  their 
uniting  (Fig.  35). 

The  perforating  finished,  cut  the  brass  along  the 
curves.  The  paper  pattern  may  be  washed  off  with 
water,  and  it  will  be  most  convenient  to  remove  this 
after  the  outline  has  been  perforated,  as  the  back¬ 
ground  can  then  be  completed  without  the  drawing. 

File  the  edges  and  finish  smoothly  with  emery- 
paper,  so  that  if  the  finger  is  run  all  about  the  metal 
it  will  not  catch  anywhere. 

In  the  flap  which  has  been  left  at  one  end,  punch 


Fig.  34 


102  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGXHHERS 


five  holes  for  rivets.  Bend  the  shade  up  as  evenly 
as  you  can  with  the  hands,  rough  side  outward,  un¬ 
til  the  ends  overlap. 

Mark  carefully  the  position  of  the  middle  hole, 
punch  and  rivet  it,  then  proceed  with  the  others, 
punching  and  riveting  one  at  a  time. 

"With  the  hands  and  mallet  bend  and  beat  out  the 
shade  to  an  even  curve,  taking  care  not  to  beat  hard 
enough  to  close  the  holes. 

There  is  another  way  to  fasten  over  the  ends,  but 
it  is  neither  as  strong  nor  as  ornamental  as  riveting. 
For  want  of  a  better  term  I  will  call  it  a  clutch- 
joint.  It  is  made  as  follows  :  On  either  end  of  your 
shade  leave  a  ^  "  margin  parallel  to  the  edge.  Bend 


Fig.  35 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


103 


this  with  the  pli- 
block,  as  in  Fig. 
facing  opposite 
until  they  will 
like&.  Then  ham  - 
the  metal  block  to 

There  are  many 
form,  proportion, 
perforating  the 
surely  suggest 
student  as  he 

A  shade  may 
single  piece  of 
any  joint  what- 
thing  the  same  manner  as  the  tray.  One  of  this  sort 
is  shown  in  Fig.  37. 

Cut  out  first  a  12  "  square,  with  a»  additional  left 
for  flaps  all  around.  A4"  square  is  next  cut  out  of 
the  center,  except  where  J  "  is  allowed  for  flaps  (Fig. 
37,  a).  All  edges  are  then  filed  and  emery  papered,  and 
the  flaps  bent  under  with  the  pliers  and  then  beaten 
flat.  This  gives  a  needed  extra  stiffness  to  the  edges. 

Next  transfer  and  stamp  the  design  upon  the  mid¬ 
dle  of  each  side.  Bend  the  metal  upon  the  dotted 
lines  with  round  pliers  and  mallet  to  form  Fig.  37, 


Fig.  36 


ers  or  over  the 
36,  a,  the  angles 
ways.  Bend  them 
hook  together 
mer  together  on 
form  the  j  oint  c. 
variations  of  the 
and  method  of 
shade  that  will 
themselves  to  the 
works. 

be  made  from  a 
metal  without 
ever  in  some- 


104  THE  AET  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGIHNEES 


CU 


Fig.  37 


c;  Fig.  37,  b  showing 
the  side  view. 

In  Fig.  40  is  illus¬ 
trated  another  form. 
Four,  five,  or  six  sides 
are  cut  out  as  in  b,  the 
flaps  bent  under  and 
design  perforated. 
Then  corner  pieces,  a, 
are  cut  and  riveted  to 
each  piece  as  shown 
in  the  diagram  d. 

Or  we  may  cut  out 
the  open  spaces  in 
the  design  with  a 
straight-edged  tool 
and  place  colored 
glass  behind  them  as 
shown  in  Fig.  40,  c. 
If  the  glass  is  used, 
gage-21  metal  will  be 
needed  in  the  frame 
to  support  the  weight 
of  the  glass. 

Any  glazier  will  cut 


SHEET-METAL  WOEK 


105 


the  glass  for 
this  purpose. 

If  glass  is 
used  in  the 
shade  at  Fig. 

37,  then  the 
tree  pattern 
may  first  be  Fig.  38 

cut  in  four  separate  spaces  (Fig.  38),  a  border  al¬ 
lowed  all  around,  and  the  background  perforated. 

Still  another  way  is  to  eat  out  the  open  spaces 
with  acid. 

Mix  the  following  solution  : 


3  parts  clear  water 
1  part  nitric  acid 
1  “  ^  sulphuric  acid 

Place  this  in  a  large  earthen  crock  or  jar,  and  al¬ 
ways  keep  it  covered,  for  the  fumes  are  disagreeable 
and  harmful. 

Better  keep  it  in  some  out-of-the-way  place  apart 
from  the  living-rooms.  Cover  all  of  the  metal,  ex¬ 
cept  those  parts  which  are  to  be  eaten  through,  with 
black  asphaltum  varnish,  spread  evenly  on  both  sides. 
Allow  this  to  harden  for  twelve  hours,  then  im- 


106  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


mer.se  the  metal  in  the  acid,  which  will  eat  through 
the  exposed  parts. 

Keep  close  watch  of  the  work  while  in  acid,  fish¬ 
ing  it  out  occasionally  with  a  stick. 

By  no  means  allow  your  hand  to  remain  in  the 
acid,  and  should  a  few  drops  splatter  upon  the  flesh, 
wash  them  off  immediately.  A  jar  or  pail  of  clean 
water  should  be  kept  by  the  acid-tank. 

The  black  varnish  may  be  removed  with  turpentine, 
or  by  immersing  in  a  solution  of  hot  water  and  lye. 

Figs.  38  and  39  show  the  derivation  of  ornamental 
conventional  form  from  natural  form. 

The  fir  is  one  of  the  most  symmetrical  of  trees. 

Observe  that  its  sharp  angles  harmonize  well  with 
the  bent-up  form  of  the  shade  upon  which  it  is  used, 
and  that  the  heavier  forms  of  the  oak  are  more  read¬ 
ily  fitted  into  the  obtuse  angles  and  squarer  forms  of 
Fig.  40. 


Fig.  39 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


107 


PROBLEM  IY- LANTERNS 

In  designing  a  lantern  which  shall  meet  the  re¬ 
quirements  of  practical  use  the  following  points  must 
be  considered  : 


108  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


First  —  size  :  in  relation  to  whether  it  is  to  be  car¬ 
ried  about  or  to  be  hung  in  a  hallway. 

Second  —  shape  :  according  to  the  light  to  be  placed 
within. 

Third  —  openings  or  perforations  :  with  regard  to 
the  emission  of  light,  and  to  the  matter  of  sufficient 
draft  to  prevent  smoking. 

Fourth  —  proportion  and  decoration  subordinated 

to  these. 

At  the  risk  of  being  tiresome,  I  speak  again  of 
the  necessity  of  decoration  subordinated  to  use, 
because  I  believe  that  this  thing  will  keep  art 
healthy  more  than  anything  else,  and  even  though 
the  object  made  is  principally  for  ornament,  the 
fact  of  its  taking  the  form  of  something  which  is 
in  common  use  demands  that  its  construction  be 
practical. 

The  design  upon  this  first  lantern  is  marked  out 
and  made  in  the  same  simple  way  as  the  lamp-shade, 
_ by  perforating  with  a  round  point,  —  but  the  plan¬ 
ning  and  fitting  together  must  be  an  accurate  and 
careful  piece  of  work,  although  well  within  the  abil¬ 
ity  of  a  boy  of  fourteen. 

It  is  to  be  a  cylindrical  lantern,  something  in  the 
style  of  the  old-fashioned  watchman’s  lantern  of 


Etched  and  Perforated  Metal- Work 

(Chautauqua  School  of  Arts  and  Crafts) 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


111 


colonial  days.  This  as  well  as  the  lamp-shade  may 
be  made  of  tin  with  good  effect. 

The  paper  used  for  the  pattern  should  be  tough, 
and  of  medium  thickness  to  prevent  easy  wrinkling. 

The  proportions  of  this  lantern  should  be  about 
those  given  in  Fig.  41.  Height  of  cylinder  10",  di¬ 
ameter  5b",  slope  of  roof  5|",  with  an  overhang  of 

1// 

2  * 

Draw  the  front  view  and  develop  (Fig.  41),  and 
project  the  circles  of  the  roof  and  of  the  bottom. 

The  pattern  of  the  top  is  developed  as  already 
explained  in  the  shade,  and  as  shown  here  in  Fig.  43. 

In  the  lantern  we  omit  the  opening  that  occurs  at 
the  top  of  the  shade  and  merely  develop  a  cone. 

The  exact  pattern  for  the  lantern  body  is  obtained 
from  the  circle  c  (Fig.  41),  which  shows  the  diam¬ 
eter  of  the  cylinder.  This  circle  is  divided  into 
twenty-four  equal  parts,  and  these  are  spaced  off 
along  a  straight  line,  as  in  Fig.  42,  adding  one  more 
space  for  a  lap  for  riveting.  It  will  give  you  a 
length,  in  this  case,  of  16  "  without  the  lap.  Com¬ 
plete  the  pattern  as  shown  in  Fig.  42. 

A  simple  geometric  repeat  may  be  used,  first  di¬ 
viding  the  space  into  squares  or  diamonds  and  then 
sketching  in  the  units. 


112  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


sc 

• 

a 

: -v 

Fig.  42 

THIS  SH68T.5H9W5  ThE.  METhod 
OF  DEVELOPING  A  PATTERN  IN 

detail.  First  decide  \js>on 
*  proportions  As  GWEN  in  Pis, 

,  HEIGHT,  width .SV.0PE  Of  Roof; 
/  OVER  HANC,  £TC-  THEN  PROCEED 
AS  SHOW*.  IN  THIS  DESIGN 
More  THE  DOMINANCE  of  CvL- 
INDRICAL.  C.VRVCS 


Fig.  44 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


113 


See  Fig.  58  for  an  example  of  this  kind,  where  the 
straight-edged  tool  is  used  with  the  punch.  Lan¬ 
tern  B  is  another  example  of  this  method  of  decora¬ 
tion. 

The  margin  at  the  top,  and  the  margin  at 
the  bottom,  are  for  bending  over  and  folding  inward 
to  stiffen  the  edges.  The  y  margin  on  the  side  is 
for  riveting,  and  the  square  tabs  are  for  attaching  to 
the  roof. 

Now  draw  the  margin  lines  a  and  b,  and  it  is  be¬ 
tween  these  that  the  design  must  come. 

Several  important  considerations  should  influence 
us  in  selecting  a  design  for  a  lantern.  There  must 
be  sufficient  surface  perforated  to  let  out  a  fair 
amount  of  light  —  more  than  half  of  the  inclosed 
space.  These  perforations  must  be  distributed  well 
for  two  reasons  :  first,  a  constructive  one,  that  too 
large  a  mass  of  holes  in  one  space  stretches  and  bulges 
the  metal ;  second,  from  an  ornamental  view-point, 
the  effect  would  be  bad  if  all  the  perforations  were 
massed  together. 

The  design  must  be  tied  together,  as  it  were,  some¬ 
what  as  in  a  stencil-pattern. 

The  tree  design  which  I  have  used  answers  these 
requirements.  Sketch  in  the  tree  upon  half  of  A-B, 


114  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Fig.  42.  Notice  how  it  touches  the  side  lines  and 
the  top,  thus  separating  the  larger  and  smaller  spaces, 
which  will  be  perforated,  and  tying  together  the 


whole  design. 

Having  sketched  half  of  a  unit,  the  method  of  fold¬ 
ing  on  A-B  and  transferring  by  rubbing  is  the  same 


as  previously  explained. 

Corrections  will  be  needed  here  and  there  to  bring 
the  whole  together  and  fit  it  up  accurately.  The  back¬ 
ground  spaces  are  perforated  as  solid  masses  of  holes. 

Instead  of  gluing  the  paper  upon  the  metal,  the 
whole  pattern  may  be  drawn  in  pencil  directly  upon 
the  brass,  and  the  design  unit  drawn  upon  a  separate 
piece  and  transferred  into  each  space. 

The  upper  and  lower  borders,  with  the  exception 
of  the  tabs  x  X  X,  are  beaten  over  before  punching. 

These  borders,  of  course,  are 
bent  upon  the  inside  of  the 
lantern.  The  bending  may  be 
started  over 
^abevel-edg- 
]ed  rule  and 
beaten  down 
with  the 

Fig.  45  mallet. 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


115 


Punch  the  flap 

K  for  seven  riv- 

SECTION  THROvCirf 

Bottom 

ets  and  proceed 
as  in  the  shade.  < 

i  n  / 

) 

some  difficulty  RowoFhou£s-^ 

in  getting  at  the  Fig.  46 


rivets  in  the  middle,  but  it  can  be  done  quite  readily 
in  the  following  manner :  Secure  a  bar  of  metal,  a 
piece  of  water-pipe,  or  a  bar  of  hard  wood  upon 
which  the  riveting  block  of  metal  may  be  set,  and 
rest  this  bar  across  two  tables,  blocks,  or  boxes. 
String  the  cylinder  upon  this,  inserting  the  rivet 
from  the  inside  and  riveting  upon  the  outside,  as  in 
Fig.  45.  The  lantern  is  bent  rough  side  outward, 
this  being  the  easier  way,  and  also,  in  my  opinion, 
the  more  ornamental. 

You  may  develop  the  pattern  for  the  top  in  the 
same  manner  as  already  explained  in  the  shade,  and 
for  this  the  dimensions  are  given  in  Fig.  41.  The 
complete  pattern  is  shown  in  Fig.  43.  One  circle  is 
described  upon  a  5"  radius  and  another  upon  a  3" 
radius.  Upon  these  circles  the  design  is  constructed 
and  the  interspace  perforated  (see  A  in  the  plate). 

Six  holes  are  punched  upon  the  3"  circle  and  filed 


116  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


out  to  at  least  \n  diameter. 
These  are  for  ventilation.  • 

The  space  marked  A-A  is  , 


the  part  perforated  as  a  * 

solid  mass.  The  center  \ - j 

of  the  pattern,  C,  is  filed  Flg' 47 

out  with  a  rat-tail  to  allow  for  the  insertion  of  a  wire 

after  the  roof  has  been  bent  up. 

Four  rivets  will  be  needed  on  the  flap,  the  first 
one  coming  as  near  the  center  as  it  can  be  punched. 

The  slits  1,  2,  3  are  punched  with  a  straight-edged 
tool  at  the  thirds  of  the  circumference.  They  are 
intended  to  fit  the  three  tabs  x  X  x ,  and  should  be  f" 
wide  or  wider  than  the  tabs.  These  slits  will 
come  exactly  upon  the  5"  circle. 

Bend  up  the  roof  and  rivet  it  over  the  bar. 

Coming  now  to  the  pattern  for  the  bottom,  we  shall 


find  it  necessary 
to  construct  this 
from  heavy  metal, 
gage  21. 


Fig.  48 


It  is  cut  care¬ 
fully  according  to 
the  heavy  lines  in 
44,  allowing  the 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


117 


A  NDU£ 


sents  the  projection  of  the  bottom.  A  is  the  size  of 
the  lantern  body,  and  D,  the  inner  circle,  is  drawn 
as  a  guide-line  upon  which  to  punch  sixteen  equi¬ 
distant  holes  (see  Fig.  46),  rough  edges  upward. 

The  drip-cup  with  a  diameter  of  two  inches  is  next 
cut  out  and  hollowed,  and  the  candle-holder  formed, 
as  in  the  sconce.  These  are  then  riveted  to  the  cen¬ 
ter  of  the  lantern  bottom. 

The  three  angle  pieces,  1"  x 
\"i  are  cut  from  heavy  metal 
and  bent  in  the  middle  to  a 
right  angle  with  the  pliers. 

They  are  then  punched  and 
riveted  at  the  base  of  the  line 
that  passes  through  each  tree— 
that  is,  B,  G,  and  L,  in  Fig.  42. 

The  manner  of  attaching 
these  is  shown  in  Fig.  47.  Fold 
a  scrap  of  heavy  metal  double 
and  beat  it  flat  together  •  bend 
Fig.  so  the  tab  of  the  bottom  piece  over 


square  tabs  to  Loop  h 

stick  out  4  "  — - 

from  the  circle  v  - 

B,  which  repre-  Fig.  19 


118  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

this,  and  when  the  scrap  is 
removed  this  bend  should  fit 
over  the  angle  piece  easily,  as 
in  Fig.  46.  The  bend  should  be 
adjusted  so  that  the  angle  will 
just  slip  in. 

For  the  hood  cut  a  circular 
piece  of  thin  brass  2"  in  diame¬ 
ter,  and  perforate  it  in  the 
center.  This  may  readily 
$  be  bent  with  the  fingers 
to  resemble  Fig.  48.  Fig. 
49  shows  a  pattern  for 
the  heavy  brass  loop,  which  is 
punched  in  both  ends  and  bent 
over  to  a  circle. 

The  loop,  hood,  and  roof  are 
tied  together  by  means  of  a  nar¬ 
row  strip  of  gage-21  metal,  or 
brass  wire,  wide  and  2"  long. 
Bend  one  end  of  this  to  a  small 
loop  over  the  round  pliers,  in¬ 
sert  it  from  below  through  the 
hole  in  the  apex  of  the  roof, 
the  hood,  and  both  ends  of  the 


Fig.  51 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


119 


loop-handle,  and  twist  it 
down  tightly  on  top  (Fig. 

50). 

To  put  the  body  and  the 
roof  together,  insert  the 
square  tabs  x  x  x  through 
the  slits  1,  2,  3,  and  bend 
them  down  outside.  The 
slits  are  purposely  made 
wider  than  the  tabs,  to  allow  for  any  variation  in  the 
pattern ;  but  if  the  measurements  here  given  are 
carefully  followed  there  should  be  no  trouble  about 
fitting. 

In  the  plate  A  is  the  lantern  which  we  have  been 
constructing.  B  is  triangular,  but  the  design,  which 
is  composed  of  squares  and  triangles,  may  be  equally 
well  applied  to  a  square  lantern. 

In  making  this  triangular  lantern  a  wooden  block 
planed  to  an  equilateral  tri¬ 
angle  will  be  necessary  for 
forming  the  corners.  The  roof 
may  be  made  in  one  or  three 
pieces  and  riveted.  (  See  lamp¬ 
shades.  )  C,  D,  and  E,  may  also 
be  made  in  one  or  several 


Kg.  52 


Kg.  53 


120  THE  AET  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGIHHEBS 


c*~ 


©) 

Fig.  54 


pieces.  A  little  explanation  is  needed 
about  developing  these  roofs  in  one  piece. 
First  draw  the  front  elevation  of  the  lan¬ 
tern  to  exact  size  (Fig.  51).  c 
In  this  case  it  is  the  hexag  a-VVdL 
onal  lantern  C.  b-  j£ 

]STow,  A  is  one  surface  of  Fig- 55 
the  roof  seen  in  perspective.  The  distance  1-2  is 
projected  to  B-M,  and  is  the  same  as  1-3,  which  is 
seen  in  perspective. 

The  edge  2-B  equals  the  edge  3,  so  drawing  E-— E 
and  B-2  we  have  the  actual 
length  of  the  perspective 
length  1-4,  giving  A'  the 
actual  size  of  the  perspective 
A.  How  describe  a  circle 
with  radius  B-B,  and  on  its 
circumference  space  oft  six  of 
2-M-B,  and  add  a  lap  for  rivet¬ 
ing,  giving  the  pattern  51  b. 
Attach  the  roof  as  previously 
explained. 

Lantern  D  shows  a  door  in 
the  side  for  inserting  the  lamp 
or  candle.  In  one  side  of  the 


,  ^ 

\S> 

O’ 

/ 

1 

% 

1 

1  °*  1 
1  C°T  "  "Ig?  f 

i  °  *■  4 

y'J 

k 

>  j. 

# 

'  o 

i 

i 

1 

V 

G~'- 
1  « 
l  l 

Fig.  56 


n- 


122  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


lantern  frame  cut  an  opening  (Fig.  52)  with  mar¬ 
gin  to  be  bent  back  to  the  dotted  line  inside,  making 
the  size  of  opening,  a,  b,  c,  d,  heavy  lines. 

Now  cut  out  the  door  (Fig.  53),  allowing  larger 
than  the  opening  all  around,  and  for  bending 
under. 

For  hinges,  cut  two  strips  of  thin  brass  1"  x  |". 
Make  cuts  in  the  door  at  1  and  2  (Fig.  53)  from 
the  edge.  Bend  the  loop  as  at  a,  Fig.  55,  around 
through  this,  and  put  the  two  ends  through  a  corre¬ 
sponding  slit  in  the  side  of  the  frame. 

In  the  section  sketch,  Fig.  55,  a  is  the  loop,  b  b  the 
ends  bent  under,  d  d  the  frame,  and  c  c  the  door. 

Fig.  54  gives  two  ways  of  clasping.  A  wire  is  bent 
to  a  loop,  the  two  ends  put 
through  a  hole  in  the  door,  and 
the  ends  bent  under  the  frame. 
The  door  is  then  locked  by 
twisting  the  ends  to  a  right 
angle  with  the  edge  of  the  door. 

Or  a  clasp  may  be  filed  like 
Fig.  54,  b,  riveted  to  the  door 
loosely,  and  caught  down  over 
a  loop  in  the  frame. 

I  have  shown  in  Fig.  56  a 


Fig.  57 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


123 


\  -  »—  Q«l*0-*( 

\/°>'  i  \'As  i  V 


simple  way  of  setting  the 
light  in  through  the  bottom, 
applicable  for  any  lantern 
other  than  a  cylindrical  one. 
In  cutting  the  sides  allow 
broad  laps  at  the  bottom,  which 
may  be  bent  under  and  riveted 
as  shown  here.  Rivet  the  candle- 
holder  upon  the  center,  or,  if  a 
small  lamp  is  used,  form  a  square 
tray  to  hold  it,  and  rivet  this  tray 
to  the  upper  square. 

Now  the  handle  is  riveted  and  the 
lower  piece  bent  away  from  the  upper, 
to  allow  the  edges  of  the  lantern  bottom  to 
slip  between.  Place  the  light  in  its  holder, 
set  the  upper  square  through  the  opening,  and  give 
the  handle  a  turn  so  that  the  corners  catch,  as  in 
Fig.  56. 

Lantern  E  is  designed  for  stained-glass  panels,  to 
be  inserted  in  a  riveted  frame-work.  (See  Fig.  57.) 

A  sheet  of  brass  or  copper  may  be  etched  out, 
leaving  a  frame,  behind  which  we  may  place  the 
glass  (lantern  E).  Other  combinations  and  meth¬ 
ods  will  suggest  themselves  to  the  ingenious  worker. 


124  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

PROBLEM  V  — LETTER-BOX 

The  hanging  letter-box  is  another  very  useful  and 
attractive  object  to  be  made  from  either  brass  or 

copper.  . 

From  a  sheet  of  gage-21  metal  cut  a  piece  62  x 
11",  and  within  this  draw  a  border,  punch  holes, 
and  screw  upon  the  block  as  in  the  tray  and  sconce. 

Now  upon  a  piece  of  paper  draw  a  rectangle  5^ 
x  10  ",  and  cut  out  of  the  paper,  leaving  a  flap  at 
the  top,  as  in  the  tray. 

The  design  in  Fig.  59  may  be  used,  or  any  other 
good  design,  preferably  a  two-part  symmetrical  pat¬ 
tern.  This  problem  is  to  be  finished 
in  repousse  or  beating  up  from  the 
back. 

Fig.  59  is  a  conventional  treat¬ 
ment  of  the  grape-vine,  adapted  to 
this  method  of  working  with  a 
rounded  tool.  The  space  above, 
A,  is  left  for  lettering ;  the  space 
below  will,  of  course,  be  covered 
by  the  box. 

From  a  4"  length  of  bar 
of  tool-steel  file  a  tool  like  Fig. 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


125 


60  d,  smoothly  rounded  upon  the  end.  The  metal 
should  first  be  filed  square,  as  in  60  a,  then  a 
bevel  taken  from  the  edges  as  in  b  and  c,  finally 
smoothed  to  d ,  and  finished  with  emery-paper. 

Let  me  repeat  here  about  tempering  a  steel  tool. 
After  the  surface  is  polished  smooth,  heat  the  whole 
end  in  a  coal  fire  or  over  a  flame  until  it  glows  rosy 
red.  Then  plunge  quickly  into  cold  water,  dry,  and 
polish  again  with  emery. 

This  tool  is  held  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
nail  stamp,  but  the  resulting  impression  should  be 
smooth  and  unbroken.  The  design  depends  upon 
its  embossing  or  relief,  rather  than  in  the  difference 
of  texture.  Practise  to  move  the  tool  along  in  a 
continuous,  even  movement  to  cover  the  whole  sur¬ 
face  of  the  design. 

Beat  in  the  grapes  first,  twirling  the  tool  about  to 
insure  getting  a  circular  impression,  next  the  stems 
and  branches  in  as  smoothly  continuous  an  impres¬ 
sion  as  you  can  accomplish. 

With  a  metal  as  heavy  as  gage  21  the  forms  of 
the  design  should  be  quite  clearly  defined,  avoiding 
very  small  spaces ;  and  the  intervals  between  the 
parts  (i.  e.,  the  background)  must  be  more  open 
than  if  a  thinner  metal  be  used.  The  beaten  side 


126  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


‘V 


tr 

fBl 


/ 


d.  will  be  the  back  of  the  holder,  the 
O  raised  surface  forming  the  face. 

Any  letters  or  monogram  must  first 


n 


be  carefully  drawn  upon  a  piece  of  pa¬ 
per  cut  to  fit  the  space  allowed— A, 
Fig.  60  Yig.  59. 

But  as  the  letters  must  be  stamped  in  upon 
the  back  they  must  first  be  drawn  in  reverse, 
so  that  they  can  be  read  from  the  front  or  raised 
side.  The  simplest  way  of  reversing  is  this  : 

Fold  a  paper  upon  the  line  A-B,  Fig.  61,  and 
within  the  upper  half  sketch  the  letters  to  be  placed 
within  the  space  A,  Fig.  59,  in  their  proper  size  and 
order.  Outline  them  clearly  with  a  black  pencil 
fold  upon  A-B,  and  transfer  by  rubbing. 

This  will  give  you  the  exact  reverse  of  the  letters 
as  in  the  lower  space  (Fig.  61).  Transfer  the  re¬ 
versed  word  into  the  given  space  and  finish  the 


stamping.  .  .  . 

The  dimensions  for  the  box  part  are  given  m  I  lg. 
62,  with  the  extra  margin  allowed  for  screwing  npon 
the  block. 

Be  careful  to  square  all  corners  and  to  measure 
very  accurately.  The  design  is  drawn  upon  a  paper 
3"  x  4",  allowing  a  margin  above  for  tacking  upon 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


127 


u 


rsfea® 


Fig.  61 


the  block.  The  grapes  and  curved 
stems  are  beaten  in,  and  also  the  leaf 
around  the  veins. 

The  diagram  at  the  lower  part  of 
Fig.  62  shows  how  this  piece  should 
be  bent  and  riveted  upon  the  back. 

The  bending  is  best  done  over  the  square  angle 
of  a  hard-wood  block,  using  the  mallet,  and  the 
raised  surface  of  the  design,  as  in  the  other  piece, 
should  face  outward.  In  the  narrow  margin,  §", 
punch  three  holes  for  rivets  and  insert  the  rivets 
from  the  front,  setting  them  down  upon  the  back  of 
the  holder. 

One  danger  is  that  of  getting  the  box  unevenly 
placed  upon  the  back  piece,  and  very  careful  measur¬ 
ing  will  be  necessary  to  avoid  this  error. 

In  the  plan 


piece  should 
about  1 
er  edge. 

Finish  by 
edge  from  the 
the  cross-section, 
This  style  of 
a  little  smaller 


given  the  box 
be  riveted 
from  the  low- 

curving  the 
back,  as  shown  in 
Fig.  62. 

box  may  be  made 
and  used  for  a 


Fig.  62 


128  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


LELTTER.  HOLDERS 

A  To  BE  FINISHED  AS  DESCRIBED 
IN  thetext;  IN  REPOVSSE' 

NOTE  THE  CHARACTER  OF  THE 

LINE  WHICH  iS  Soch  AS  THE 
THE  RovNDP-0  TooUWOvI-D 
naTv  rally  Foulqw 

3.  IS  DESIGNS  0  FOR  CH  ASlNC, 

WITH  A  STRAIGHT  |P5ED 
Tool,  note  the.  harmonx 
IN  LINE",  OvTLINE  AND  ORNA¬ 
MENT.  ’  TUB  NATURAL  RfSvCt 

OF  FINISHINU-S'IN  REPOVSSE--- 

wovld  oeTo  rovndthe  forms 

VICE-VERSA  ,  A  CHASING  TOOL 
USED  ON  -  A-WOVLD  SHARPEN 
THE  LINES. 


match-box,  or  the  design  may  be  stamped  as  m  tbe 


sconce.  „  ,, 

This  completed  design  and  one  other  for  tbe  same 

purpose  are  here  illustrated. 


Tbe  design  B  might  be  executed  in  metal  and 
wood,  carving  tbe  outline  decoration  with  the  knife. 


PROBLEM  YI  —  COPPER  BOWL 

Copper,  being  tbe  more  ductile  metal,  is  better 
adapted  than  brass  for  beating  up  as  deep  an  object 
as  a  bowl. 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


129 


As  the  copper  stiffens  under  the  tool,  it  will  be 
necessary  to  heat  or  anneal  it  to  get  it  again  into  a 
pliable  condition.  This  may  be  done  by  placing  the 
metal  in  a  stove  or  furnace,  or  by  forcing  a  gas  flame 
upon  it  in  the  method  used  by  professional  metal¬ 
workers.  Heat  it  to  a  rosy  red  and  then  cool  slowly. 

For  this  problem  describe  a  7"  circle  upon  the 
copper  and  cut  it  out  with  the  shears,  then  describe 
the  other  circles  as  in  Fig.  63.  The  outer  circle  is 
only  the  rim  which  is  allowed  for  screwing  to  the 
block,  and  is  cut  off  later.  Circle  A  is  the  real  edge 
of  the  bowl  ■  within  this  comes  a  ^ "  border  and  then 
a  f"  band,  bounded  by  circle  B. 

ithin  this  band  we  place  as  ornament  a  repeat¬ 
ing  border.  The  circle  at  the  center  with  a  1"  ra¬ 
dius  is  to  define  the  bottom  of  the  bowl,  and  the 
other  circle  is  simply  a  guide-line  to  aid  in  beating 
up. 

With  the  30  °  -  60  °  triangle  divide  the  circle  into 
twelve  parts,  punch  the  holes  within  the  outer  bor¬ 
der,  and  screw  the  metal  to  the  soft-wood  block  as  in 
previous  problems. 

Upon  a  bit  of  paper  describe  circles  and  lay  off, 
Fig.  64,  equal  to  one  section  of  Fig.  63. 

In  the  space  allotted  for  the  border  draw  some  unit 


130  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


which  will  repeat  well  twelve  times— something  like 
the  pattern  given. 

Cut  out  the  wedge  of  paper,  and,  fitting  it  into  the 
corresponding  space  upon  the  metal,  transfei  with 
carbon-paper,  holding  the  pattern  by  its  apex. 

The  background  of  the  border  should  be  stamped 


rather  deeply  with  a  medium-sized  stamp.  There  is 
the  danger  of  perforating  to  be  guarded  against  in 
this. 

The  small  rosette  pattern  for  the  center  is  punched 
upon  the  reverse  side,  and  it  may  be  left  out  en¬ 
tirely  without  seriously  modifying  the  effect. 

Trim  the  metal  to  circle  A,  Fig.  63. 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 


131 


You  will  need  to  purchase,  make, 
or  have  made,  a  stout  canvas  or 
leather  bag,  something  like  a  pin- 
cushion,  6"  in  diameter.  It  may 
be  either  circular  or  square. 

Or  any  large  hardware  dealer 
will  order  for  you  an  engraver’s 
pad,  costing  about  $1.50. 

Rest  the  disk  of  metal  upon  the 
pad  with  the  outer  stamped  side 
downward,  and  with  the  round 
end  of  the  mallet  beat  it  in  a  series 

of  circles  from  the  inner  circle  _ 

same  time  gradually  tipping  the  piece  (Fig.  65).' 

As  you  go  on  with  this  “forming,”  the  metal  will 
wrinkle  at  the  edge  and  stiffen  quite  rapidly.  An¬ 
neal  or  heat  it,  and  beat  out  the  wrinkles  upon  a 
hard-wood  block. 


Fig.  64 

outward,  at  the 


In  order  to  get  the  bowl  the 
required  depth,  a  block  in  shape 
like  Fig.  68  must  be  rasped  and 
sandpapered  from  hard- wood, 
and  another  to  the  shape  shown 
in  Fig.  67. 

Beat  the  bowl  down  into  the 


9 


132  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Fig.  66 


one  block  (Fig.  67),  and  over  the 
block  (Fig.  68). 

By  this  method  of  work  the 
ornamental  band  will  be  flattened, 
bnt,  cannot  be  entirely  beaten  out, 
so  we  shall  always  have  a  difference 
in  texture  which  will  sufficiently 
indicate  the  design. 

These  designs  (Figs.  69  and  70)  are  both 
extremely  simple,  with  a  minimum  of 
stamping. 

They  may  be  executed  by  etching 
in  acid,  as  already  explained  in  the 
problem  of  the  lamp-shade,  and 
when  completed  the  bowl  may 
be  used  for  spring  bulbs,  for 
nuts,  or  as  a  finger-bowl. 

The  page  illustration  of  candlesticks 
involves  no  methods  of  working  which 
have  not  been  explained  in  previous 
problems.  Surely  the  examples  of 
metal-work  given  will  suggest  to  the 
student  other  objects  properly  and 
consistently  to  be  constructed  out  of 
this  material.  Fig.  68 


Fig.  67 


133 


SHEET-METAL  WORK 

Its  durability  and  the  richness  of  color  and  de¬ 
sign  obtained  by  very  simple  means  have  deservedly 
made  this  branch  of  the  crafts  very  popular. 


CHAPTER  V 
¥ 


LEATHER- WORK 


Problem 

Problem 

Problem 

Problem 


I  —  How  to  make  a  Note-book 
II  —  How  to  make  a  Card-case 

III  —  How  to  make  a  Magazine  Cover 

IV  . Carved  Leather  Napkin-ring 


CHAPTER  V 


LEATHER -WORK 

rpHE  great  popularity  of  leather-work  among 
-L  amateurs  is  due  in  great  measure  to  the  ease 
with  which  the  art  may  be  acquired,  and  to  the  fact 
that  a  small  and  inexpensive  equipment  is  all  that  is 
required ;  and  also  because  of  the  richness  of  the 
material  and  its  durability. 

The  art  of  modeling  or  embossing  leather  is  little 
more  than  drawing  upon  the  dampened  material, 
and,  therefore,  a  knowledge  of  design  is  of  great  im¬ 
portance. 

Of  great  importance,  but  not  of  absolute  necessity  ; 
for  one  may  do  as  many  students  without  oppor¬ 
tunity  for  the  study  of  design  have  done— one  may 
trace,  copy,  or  adapt  the  designs  of  others.  Here 

137 


138  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


the  critical  faculty  is  necessary  in  order  to  know 
what  to  select  for  a  given  object,  and  in  this  con¬ 
nection  it  would  be  well  to  read  carefully  the  chapter 
on  design. 

There  are  various  methods  of  manipulating  leather, 
such  as  incising,  carving,  applique,  staining,  tooling, 

■  burning,  and  embossing.  The  last-named,  as  it  is  the 
simplest  method,  will  first  be  explained  here. 

The  selection  of  material  for  work  in  any  craft 
is  of  prime  importance,  and  in  leather-work  it  is 
rather  more  difficult  to  distinguish  between  good 
and  inferior  hides  than  it  is  to  select  a  fine  piece  of 
oak  or  a  sheet  of  metal  of  the  proper  quality.  One 
has  to  take  risks  and  learn  by  experience. 

A  test  which  will  help  somewhat  is  to  indent  the 
hide  with  the  thumb-nail,  and  if  it  retains  the  im¬ 
pression  thus  made  it  will  probably  model  well. 

The  highest  grades  of  Russia  calfskin,  ooze  calf¬ 
skin,  or  split  cowhide,  ooze  finish,  should  be  secured 
for  modeling.  Sheepskin  will  not  model  well,  but 
will  do  finely  for  perforating,  burning,  or  inlaying. 

There  are  comparatively  few  difficulties  to  over¬ 
come,  and  we  will  meet  them  as  they  present  them¬ 
selves.  Following  is  the  necessary  equipment : 

Two  modelers  (Fig.  1),  each  having  a  tool  on  both 


LEATHER -WORK 


139 


ends,  one  of  the  four  ends  sharp  and  three-cornered 
in  section  for  incising  lines  and  pointing,  and  the 
other  ends  blunt,  thumb-shaped  modelers  of  various 
sizes  j  and  these  are  used  for  pressing  down  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  leather. 

A  slab  of  marble,  slate,  or  glass  not  less  than  9"  x 


Fig.  1 


12",  a  triangle,  a  1-foot,  rule,  a  sponge,  and  a  sharp¬ 
cutting  knife  completes  the  list. 

PROBLEM  I— HOW  TO  MAKE  A  NOTE-BOOK 

Thus  equipped,  we  may  begin  with  something 
which  shall  not  be  too  difficult— say  a  pocket  note- 
or  address-book. 

Procure  a  small  blank-book  and  remove  the  card- 
covers,  or  make  a  book  by  sewing  together  leaves  of 
some  good  paper.  (See  chapter  on  simple  book¬ 
binding.) 

The  book  being  5"  x  2J"  in  size,  we  will  cut  the 


140  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


cover  so  that  it  shall  pro¬ 
ject  \n  at  either  side  and 
end,  with  allowed  for 
the  back,  thus  giving  us 
5f"x5i"  (Fig.  2). 

Measure  this  size  care¬ 
fully,  using  the  triangle 
to  insure  square  corners, 
and  draw  the  lines  with 
the  tool  shown  in  Fig. 
1,  A. 

No  cutting  will  be 
done  until  the  whole  work  is  finished.  During  the 
process  of  modeling,  the  leather  must  be  kept  in  a 
dampened  condition.  Wet  the  under  or  flesh  side 
with  a  sponge,  being  careful  not  to  saturate  it  so 
that  the  water  soaks  through  to  the  finished  side. 

In  drawing  or  tracing  straight  lines  always  use 
the  rule  or  triangle  and  move  the  tool  from  left  to 
right  (Fig.  3),  and  slanted  back  at  an  angle  of  about 


Fig.  2 


45A 

Draw  the  line  A-B,  Fig.  2,  with 
the  sharp  point  (Fig.  1,  A)  mid¬ 
way  between  the  sides  of  the 
larger  rectangle.  Measure 


Fig.  3 


LEATHER  -  WORK 


141 


from  outside  upper  and  lower  edges  and  -f6"  from  the 
center  line,  and  draw  the  oblong  1,  2,  3,  4  in  the 
right  half  of  the  piece  of  leather. 

In  this  oblong  the  front  cover  design  is  to  be 
placed. 

In  tooling  the  corners  there  is  a  tendency  to  carry 
the  lines  over  into  the  mar¬ 
gin.  To  avoid  this  do  not 
draw  the  lines  quite  to  the 
corner  at  first  and  finish 
them  afterward  as  follows  : 

Hold  the  sharp-pointed 
tool  in  a  more  horizontal 
position,  pressing  the  point 
down  with  the  first  two 
fingers  of  the  left  hand, 
and  push  the  tool  forward. 

The  under-side  of  the 
tool  will  take  a  straight  course,  following  the  line 
to  where  the  corner  is  to  be.  At  this  point  turn 
it  up,  sharply,  assuring  a  well-defined  corner(Fig.  4). 

It  is  of  course  difficult,  even  with  the  help  of 
drawings,  to  explain  these  details  exactly  in  words, 
and  a  little  practice  upon  scraps  of  leather  will  be  of 
great  value. 


142  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


With  the  first  handling  of 
the  tools  let  your  design  be 
simple.  In  such  work  ac¬ 
curacy  is  important  in  laying 
out  a  skeleton  plan  or  de¬ 
ls^  sign,  and  the  1-foot  rule 
should  be  used  frequently. 
Do  not  fear  that  by  so  doing 
you  will  obtain  a  mechanical 
effect,  for  the  free-hand  fin¬ 
ish  over  the  outlines  is  bound 
to  “loosen  up”  your  work 
sufficiently. 

A  simple  interlacing  pat¬ 
tern  is  always  effective. 
What  can  be  more  interest¬ 
ing,  for  instance,  than  the  Moorish  patterns  or  the 
Celtic  knottings,  which  may  be  simplified  for  our 
purpose ! 

With  the  piece  of  work  in  hand  the  oblong  to  be 
filled  is  5£"  X  2\n.  Measure  such  a  space  upon  pa¬ 
per  and  adapt  your  design  to  it.  It  is  well  to  cut 
the  paper  upon  two  sides  of  the  oblong,  as  A-B, 
Fig.  5,  so  that  it  may  be  placed  more  accurately  in 
the  given  space. 


Fig.  5 


LEATHER  -WORK 


143 


Trace  carefully  through  the  paper  with  the  pointed 
tool  or  tracer,  holding  it  at  an  angle  slightly  below  a 
right  angle. 

Then  remove  your  paper  and  strengthen  the  lines 
where  it  is  needful. 


The  hardest  work  will  then  be  accomplished,  and 
you  may  proceed  with  the  actual  modeling  or  “lay¬ 
ing  down  ”  of  the  background,  thus  lifting  or  raising 
the  design  in  relief. 

The  laying  down  is  done  by  pressing  heavily  and 
evenly  with  the  broad-pointed  tool  all  around  the 


lines  and  working  toward  the  part  to  be  raised. 

If  the  leather  wrinkles  you  may  know  you  are 
pressing  against  the  fibers, 
and  it  will  be  necessary  to 
change  the  direction  of 
the  tool  so  that  the  leather 
takes  the  pressing  in  a 
smooth  and  glossy  manner. 

Should  the  water  come 
to  the  surface  during  the 
process,  do  not  attempt  to 
proceed  with  the  model¬ 
ing  until  it  has  somewhat 
dried  out.  Under  proper 


METHOD  OP  HOLDING  THE  TOOL 
WHEN  PRESSING  DOWN 
BACKGROUND 


144  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Fig.  6 


condition  of  dampness,  the  parts  of 
the  leather  pressed  down  will  be 
darker  than  the  original  skin  color. 

Use  the  soft  point  (B,  Fig.  1)  for 
small  places  and  corners,  the  larger 
tools,  C  and  D,  being  reserved  for  the 
manipulation  of  larger  spaces. 

The  back  of  the  cover  may  be  left 
plain,  or  may  be  finished  in  the  fol¬ 
lowing  manner  : 

Mark  out  an  oblong  of  the  same 
size  and  distance  from  edges  as  the 


one  on  the  front  cover ;  mea¬ 
sure  inside  each  line,  and 
draw  another  rectangle,  as  in 
Fig.  6,  or  changing  the  pro¬ 
portion,  as  Fig.  7,  B. 

The  lines  should  be  first 
drawn  with  the  sharp  tool  and 
ruler  lightly,  afterward  using 
both  hands  to  push  the  tool 
over  them.  This  makes  a  very 
decided  indentation.  Model 
down  evenly  the  space  within 
the  oblong. 


METHOD  OF  HOLDING  THE 
TOOL  IN  LINING 


LEATHER -WORK 


145 


book  is 
leather 
a  cover 
thick 


The  cover  being- 
now  ready  to  adj  ust, 
cut  through  the  out¬ 
side  lines  A,  A,  Fig. 

7,  with  a  sharp 
knife. 

As  the 
small,  the 
will  make 
sufficiently 
without  any  lining. 

Sew  the  leaves  of 
the  book  to  a  strip 
of  thin  strong  cloth  as  near  the 
color  of  the  leather  as  may  be,  or, 
if  necessary,  use  white  cloth  and 
stain  it  with  water-color  paint. 

The  band  must  be  at  least 
wide  (Fig.  8,  A). 

Before  the  cover  is  perfectly 
dry  and  before  the  edge  is  cut  off, 
fold  it  over  on  the  center  line 
and  press  firmly  under  heavy 
books. 

Let  it  dry  thoroughly  in  this 


146  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

position,  then  rub  well  into  the  fold, 
with  your  fingers,  some  Sphinx 
leather-paste,  and  paste  the  band  A 
evenly  into  the  fold  and  press  the 
back  tightly.  Afterward  open  the 
cover  and  remove  any  paste  which 
may  have  spread  outside  the  cloth 
back.  Fig.  9  shows  the  book  com¬ 
plete. 

In  larger  note-books  it  is  advis¬ 
able  to  line  the  covers,  and  when  this 
is  done  the  leaves  are  sewed  to  a 
piece  of  skiver  or  very  thin  pared 
sheepskin,  as  large  as  the  covers. 

Then  this  is  pasted  to  the  entire  decorated  cover, 
the  paste  being  well  rubbed  in  over  the  whole  sui- 
face  of  the  leather. 

In  this  method  of  finishing  the  superfluous  leather 
should  not  be  cut  away  until  the  lining  is  in  place 
and  the  paste  dry. 

PROBLEM  II— HOW  TO  MAKE  A  CARD-CASE 

Good  proportion  is  one  of  the  first  considerations 
in  all  fine  art,  and  a  great  deal  of  time  may  profit- 


147 


LEATHER -WORK 

ably  be  spent  in  the  nice  adjustment  of  parts,  orna¬ 
ment,  background,  and  border. 

In  this  little  card-case,  for  instance,  simple  as  it  is 
and  rather  limited  as  to  size,  there  is  bound  to  be 
some  relation  of  width  to  length,  of  cover  and  of 
depth  of  pocket,  which  is  better,  and  more  satis¬ 
fying  to  the  sense  of  balance,  than  any  number  of 
other  possible  proportions. 

It  is  well  to  fold  a  piece  of  paper 
into  the  shape  of  a  case  like  Fig.  10; 
and  Fig.  11  will  give  an  idea  of  the 
inside  of  the  finished  article,  as  well 
as  the  decoration  upon  its  cover. 

In  the  making,  this  problem  will 
require  a  piece  of  leather  as  long  as 
four  times  A  and  as  wide  as  B,  with 
at  least  all  around  for  working. 

The  “ laying  out”  or  planning  of  the  pattern,  as 
lefore  stated,  is  a  delicate  piece  of  work,  and  should 
be  done  with  the  utmost  care.  For  this  work  the 
triangle  is  a  most  necessary  tool. 

When  the  leather  has  been  cut,  with  due  allowance 
tor  margin,  and  dampened  upon  the  back,  rule  the 
tour  spaces  required-two  for  the  covers  and  two  for 
the  flaps  or  pockets.  Let  us  say  that  this  case  is 


Fig.  10 


148  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

X  when  folded,  or 
that  A,  Fig.  11,  is  2£"  and 
B=3£". 

Take  the  piece  in  hand 
and  fold  it  over  evenly, 
creasing  it  in  the  middle ; 
then  rule  a  line  on  this 
middle  fold.  We  shall 
call  this  the  working  line, 
as  all  measuring  will  be 
done  from  it.  Draw  the 
line  B-C,  Fig.  12,  and 
3£"  below 
it  D  -  E, 
squaring 
from  A 
with  the 
triangle. 

From  A 
measure 
2£"  to  the 
right  and 
to  the  left, 
Fig.  ii  and  from 

these  points  draw  verticals  to  D-E. 


LEATHER -WORK 


149 


The  outer  divisions  are  to  be  the  inside  flaps  or 
pockets  of  the  case,  and  they  should  be  about  four 
fifths  the  width  of  the  covers. 

Fig.  13  shows  the  complete  shape,  and  x  x  x  x  are 
the  borders  which  shall  be  trimmed  away  finally. 

Either  space  2  or  3  may  hold  the  front  cover.  If 
2  be  the  smoother,  turn  the  leather  so  that  it  will 
come  on  the  right-hand  side.  In  the  pockets  one  or 

two  lines,  as  in  Fig.  11,  tend  to  refine  and  finish  the 
shape. 

Upon  the  front  cover,  the  right-hand  side,  let  us 
put  a  simple  landscape.  The  lines,  of  course,  cannot 
all  be  ruled,  and  therefore  none  of  them,  not  except¬ 
ing  the  horizon,  should  be,  or  the  result  will  be  dis¬ 
cordant.  There  is  a  noticeable  difference  between 
the  ligid  machine-line  and  the  slight  tremor  or  vibra- 
w 


Fig.  12 


150  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Fig. 13 


lion  caused  by  even  the  steadiest  human  hand.  It 
is  this  thing  which  gives  richness  and  artistic  value 
to  hand-work.  The  lines  upon  the  back  and  flaps  of 
the  case,  though  first  ruled  to  secure  correct  placing, 
should  be  afterward  gone  over  without  the  straight 
edge  to  bring  them  into  this  harmony.  The  lines 
of  the  cover  design  may  be  drawn  through  tracing- 
paper.  After  this  has  been  done,  some  spaces  are 
modeled  up  into  relief  by  pressing  down  other 
spaces.  Every  design,  then,  should  be  studied  to  see 
which  parts  had  better  be  depressed.  The  lines 
alone  might  be  incised  or  a  slight  space  upon  either 
side  modeled,  but  the  effect  is  better  if  the  whole 
background  surface  is  “layed.”  Not  only  a  relief, 
but  a  dark  and  light  effect  is  gained  by  this  method. 

In  the  design  under  consideration,  the  sky  and 
road  may  be  made  effective  by  this  means,  and 
enough  of  the  surface  about  the  other  lines  “layed” 
to  mark  them  distinctly. 


LEATHER -WORK 


151 


Use  the  soft  point  of  the  tool,  pushing  it  toward 
the  parts  to  be  raised.  Next  press  down  firmly 
upon  the  outside  of  the  outline,  and  then  press  the 
leather  away  from  the  raised  part,  in  this  manner 


graduating  the  relief.  The  tree  trunk  is  left  raised^  as 
well  as  the  foliage.  The  distant  hills  should  be 
raised  above  the  sky,  but  less  so  than  the  tree  ;  and 
the  land  in  front  should  be  in  higher  relief  than  the 
hills. 

Sky  and  road  may  be  pressed  down  smooth  and 
glossy,  leaving  one  or  two  little  irregularities  or 
ridges  in  the  road  to  indicate  the  ruts. 

But  avoid  too  much  detail.  Do  not  attempt  to 
imitate  the  photograph  or  a 
drawing  in  pencil ;  but  treat 
the  material  in  a  frankly  flat 
and  decorative  manner,  striv¬ 
ing  only  for  enough  detail  to 
break  monotonous  spaces. 

Modeling  is  really  good 
drawing,  and  with  continued 
practice  with  the  tool  the 
student  will  discover  many 
little  touches  of  his  own. 

Upon  the  back  of  the  case 


Fig.  14 


152  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Fig.  16 


Fig.  17 

a  monogram  may  be  either  raised 
or  depressed,  either  in  an  inclos¬ 
ing  space  or  without.  (See  Fig.  14.) 

The  effect  of  lines  may  be  studied  in  Figs.  15,  16. 

When  the  work  has  been  carried  to  this  point,  the 
leather  is  ready  for  lining. 

Cut  with  a  sharp  knife  the  outlines  of  the  flaps, 
a, a,  Fig.  11,  but  leave  the  other  edges  uncut. 

The  dotted  lines  in  Fig.  17  indicate  the  proper 
size  for  the  lining,  which  should  be  a  piece  of  soft 
ooze  sheepskin. 

Note  that  at  least  is  left  at  A. 

Next  rub  the  leather-paste  well  into  the  inside  of 
the  case,  and  place  the  smooth  side  of  the  sheepskin 
upon  this  pasted  surface.  Fold  over  on  the  center 
line  and  press,  then  unfold  and  rub  evenly  over  the 
two  pieces  in  the  manner  in  which  one  mounts  a 
photograph.  The  leather  being  still  damp,  it  will 


LEATHER- WORK 


153 


retain  the  final  folded  shape  if  placed  under  a  weight 
of  books. 

As  soon  as  it  has  well  dried  under  the  weight,  the 
stitching  may  be  done  upon  a  common  sewing- 
machine  or  upon  a  shoemaker’s  machine,  using  a 
medium-sized  needle  and  twist  or  sewing-silk. 

Fasten  the  ends  of  the  thread  under  the  flap,  and 
then  with  a  sharp  knife  cut  the  superfluous  leather 

clean  knife- 
the 

arrow,  Fig. 


away  with  one 
cut  at  least 
stitching.  (See 
18.) 

The  design 
been  consid- 
road,and  hills 
that  class 


f 


£ 


>"VT  outside 


Fig.  18 


which  we  have 
ering  —  tree, 
—  belongs  to 
which  may  be 


called  naturalistic.  It  is  taken  directly  from  nature, 
retaining  the  natural  relation  of  parts,  with  irregular 
shapes  and  some  perspective  ;  but  it  has  been  simpli¬ 
fied  to  cover  a  flat  space  ornamentally.  I  have  given 
it  here  as  an  example  of  one  school  of  ornament,  and 
a  large  and  important  one,  founded  upon  the  art  of 
Japan.  If  we  can  acquire  the  delicacy  of  tint,  the 
expression  of  line,  and  the  wonderful  individual 
character  of  plant  and  animal  form  in  which  the 


154  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Japanese  excel, 
we  shall,  indeed, 
be  far  advanced 
on  the  road  of  ar¬ 
tistic  expression. 

Yet  I  cannot 
but  feel  that  as 
ornament,  to  be 
applied  to  a  given 
object,  to  be  used 
for  a  definite  pur¬ 
pose,  Japanese  or¬ 
nament  is  in  many 
cases  too  abstract, 
and  approaches 
more  the  pictorial 
than  pure  subor¬ 
dinate  decoration. 

Study  Japanese 
art,  for  the  quali¬ 
ties  above  named ; 
but  keep  it  in  its 
place,  and  look 
rather  to  the  Greek,  the  Gothic,  the  Scandinavian,  and 
the  Celtic  for  true  principles  of  decorative  harmony. 


CARb 

MAV  Be  FlNtSHE D  IM  •  • 
MODELLING, OR  lf*i  ® 
BV® 

STAMPING  THE  BACH" 
SRovmd  as  The  •  © 
MB Ta u  ®  »  This  last 
method  is  practical 
f  aR  sew  E NTH  and  ® 
eieHTH  SRAOS  WORK 
AMD  QWtra  EFFEC¬ 
TIVE  ®  .  *  ^  I S  •  • 

Adapted  from  a  • 

^  £  LT  i  C.  INTERLACE 
•  1  ^  IS  A  CONVEN- 

Ttoiw  OF  TM£  FJ.0W6R 

Form  ®  »  ®  •  « 


E> 


LEATHER -WORK 


155 


PROBLEM  III  -  HOW  TO  MAKE  A 
MAGAZINE  COVER 

The  perforated  and  inlaid  magazine  cover  which 
we  are  to  develop  in  this  present  problem  will  carry 
ns  into  more  advanced  work  and  lead  naturally  to 
the  carving,  which  is  to  follow. 

You  will  need  a  large  piece  of  Russia  calfskin  or 
sheepskin,  a  piece  of  soft  sheepskin,  of  the  same  size 
for  lining,  or  one  quarter  yard  of  silk,  or  velvet  if  pre¬ 
ferred,  and  the  tools  used  in  previous  work.  In  addi- 
tion,  you  must  have  two  knives  like  those  in  Fig.  20. 

Suppose  the  cover  is  for  “The  Century  Magazine,” 
we  shall  cut  a  piece  15£"  x  lOf"  This  allows  §"  for  the 
back  and  an  overlapping  margin  of  Make  the 
design  upon  paper  of  the  same  size  as  the  cover. 

Start  with  the  piece  of  leather  perfectly  square  as 
to  corners  and  of  equal  sides ;  then  find  the  center 
line,  and  measuring  §"  from  it  each  way  rule  the 
lines  which  include  the  back  piece  ( a ,  Fig.  21).  We 
have  now  the  two  separate  sides  1  and  2  to  consider. 
Measure  1"  in  from  the  edge  of  each  side  all  around, 
and  rule  carefully  the  oblongs  which  are  to  contain 
the  designs.  Lines  will  be  a  sufficient  decoration 
upon  the  under  cover. 


156  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


LEATHER -WORK 


157 


<r~ 

— - - W, 

y 

(O  4- 
O 

1 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i 

Jm 

G~ 
Fig.  21 


blunt  tool,  pressing  them  hard  and  sharply  to  the  line. 
The  long  lines  and  letters  may  be  either  depressed 
with  the  V-shaped  tool  or  raised  by  modeling  the 
leather  around  them.  The  little  diagram  at  Fig. 
24  shows  how  the  lines  may  be  raised  into  ridges. 

The  tooling,  or  lining,  with  the  back  of  the  sharp- 
pointed  tool,  is  simpler  and  as  effective. 

Finish  all  of  the  modeling  and  let  the  leather  be¬ 
come  perfectly  dry  before  any  cutting  is  done. 

When  it  is  finally  ready,  place  the  leather  upon  a 


158  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Fig,  22  Fig.  23 


smooth  board  of  soft  wood,  and  with  the  sharp  knile 
(Fig,  20)  cut  out  the  spaces.  If  these  spaces  are 
regular  curves— that  is,  arcs  of  a  circle — or  straight 
lines,  chisels  and  gouges  may  be  used  to  advantage. 
But  in  the  design  in  hand  we  must  use  one  of  the 
knives  in  Fig.  20,  the  smaller  one  for  smaller  spaces 
and  sharp  curves.  Cut  straight  down,  holding  the 
tool  in  a  vertical  position  (Fig.  25). 

Should  your  design  include  many  openings  placed 
closely  together  you  would  need  one  quarter  yard  of 


LEATHER -WORK 


159 


silk  or  panne  velvet  to  place  underneath.  In  this 
case  we  shall  use  two  strips  of  panne  velvet  or  a  soft, 
harmonious  shade  of  ooze  sheepskin  or  silk.  A  varie¬ 
gated  design  is  often  pleasing  when  the  shapes  admit 
£  of  such  a  combination. 

Lay  the  cover  face  downward  upon  a 
clean  cloth  and  rub  the  paste  well  into 
the  leather  all  around  the  open  spaces ; 
place  the  velvet  face  downward  over 
these  spaces  and  smooth  it  across  several 
times  with  a  cloth  or  the  hand.  This 
will  press  the  nap  of  the  velvet  to  the  edges  of  the 
openwork. 

Any  paste  which  oozes  out  may  be  removed  with 
the  sharp  modeling-tool,  but  be  extremely  careful 
not  to  get  the  paste  upon  the  front  of  the  < 

leather,  or  a  dark  spot  will  be  left.  | 

If  we  line  the  cover  with  soft  sheepskin  J 
either  side  may  be  used.  The  ooze  is 
perhaps  the  daintiest.  Fig.  25 

In  lining,  rub  the  paste  well  into  the  wrong  side 
of  the  cover,  omitting  the  spaces  1  and  2,  Fig.  26, 
which  are  already  lined  with  velvet. 

Place  the  piece  of  lining  (a  little  longer  than 
the  modeled  piece)  upon  the  pasted  part,  and 


Fig.  24 


160  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


rub  the  two  gently  to¬ 
gether. 

Fold  the  sides,  then 
open  again  as  you  would 
a  book,  to  keep  the 
leather  stretched  at  the 
fold. 

Place  the  cover  on  a  smooth  surface  and  press  it 
under  a  smooth  object  until  perfectly  dry. 

The  next  step  is  the  lacing  of  the  edges. 

When  the  superfluous  lining  has  been  cut  away 
tool  a  line  all  around  the  cover  from  the  edge 
(Fig.  27). 

On  this  line,  and  beginning  from  the  corner,  place 
points  about  apart,  and  punch  holes  at  these  points, 
taking  care  to  place  the  points  exactly  in  the  center 
of  the  punch. 

A  good  wheel  leather  punch  can  be  bought  for  75 
cents  which  will  admit 
six  sizes  of  holes. 

With  a  long  rule  and 
very  sharp  knife,  cut 
narrow  thongs  of  the 
calfskin  about  -1V/  wide. 

This  is  a  very  difficult 


Fig.  27 


LEATHER -WORK 


161 


Fig.  29 


SPLICE. 

Fig.  28 

_  matter,  as  the  leather 

slips  from  beneath 
the  rule,  and  two 
pairs  of  hands  are  most  useful  to  keep 
it  in  place.  These  thongs  may  be 
spliced  placed  together  as  in  Fig.  28, 
and  pasted  with  leather-paste  until  you  have  a  piece 
twice  and  one  half  the  distance  to  be  bound. 

Beginning  at  the  fold  of  the  cover,  bind  over  and 
over  through  the  holes  (Fig.  29),  all  the  way  around, 
and  tie  the  two  ends  at  the  top  of  the  inside,  leav¬ 
ing  one  long  thong  hanging.  Tie  another  thong  at 
the  lower  end  of  the  fold  and  knot  the  ends  of 
both. 

These  thongs  are  to  keep  the  magazine  in  place, 
and  may  be  tied  at  the  lower  opening  of  the  maga¬ 
zine.  Finally,  if  large,  heavy  beads  are  hung  on  the 
ends  the  result  is  most  attractive. 

Inlaying. — Suppose  we  wish  to  lay  in  a  design  of 
various  colored  leather. 

Trace  the  design  and  model  to  a  finish  as  in  pre¬ 
vious  work. 

Place  the  leather  which  is  to  be  inlaid  beneath 


162  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


the  cover-leather  and  fasten  both  firmly  to  the 
board. 

Cut  out  the  spaces  through  both  pieces  of  leather. 

I  would  advise  that  inlaying  be  done  with  chisels 
and  gouges,  and  of  course  the  design  would  have  to 
be  adapted  to  straight  lines  and  regular  curves. 

Then  the  spaces  of  the  one  color  may  be  fitted 
into  the  openings  of  the  other  and  both  held  firmly 
by  the  lining,  to  which  both  are  pasted. 

A  music-folio  of  larger  dimensions  may  be  finished 
in  this  way. 

In  the  thistle  design  (Fig.  23)  the  black  spaces 
may  be  perforated  or  inlaid ;  or  some  of  the  larger 
spaces  about  the  border  may  be  cut  out  and  all  of 
the  center  modeled. 

PROBLEM  IV— CARVED  LEATHER  NAPKIN-RING 

In  any  of  our  large  museums,  and  in  many  private 
collections,  one  will  find  old  pieces  of  furniture  deco¬ 
rated  with  seats  and  panels  of  carved  and  stamped 
leather. 

In  the  Middle  Ages,  this  was  a  favorite  medium  of 
decoration  in  connection  with  woodwork,  and  the 


11 


164  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

artisans  of  that  time  produced  some  rich  and  du¬ 
rable  pieces. 

In  the  limited  space  of  this  chapter  I  can  merely 
touch  upon  the  subject  of  carved  leather- work,  but 
it  is  of  such  a  nature  that  a  few  suggestions  to  the 
student,  if  he  have  any  initiative  at  all,  will  open  up 
to  him  an  interesting  field  of  labor. 


Some  experimenting  with  the  tools  as  to  the  best 
means  of  working  ought  to  yield  a  fair  measure  of 
success. 

Thick  cowhide  or  sheepskin  is  excellent  for  this 
work,  and  sheepskin  may  bepurchased  for  $1.50  ahide. 

The  making  of  a  napkin-ring  is  a  simple  problem, 
yet  one  that  will  give  an  idea  of  the  general  meth¬ 
ods  of  working  and  the  essential  details. 


LEATHER-WORK 


165 


The  material  is  well  suited  to  such  an  article ;  for 
leather  is  tough,  light,  flexible  aud  clean,  not  easily 
broken  or  torn,  and  with  reasonable  care  need,  not 
become  soiled. 

Cut  a  piece  of  leather  6J"  x  2"  (Fig.  30),  and 
square  it  carefully  with  the  triangle  as  described  in 
previous  problems. 

Upon  the  finished  or  smooth  surface,  from  one 


end,  rule  a  line 
tool,  and  another 
to  the  end. 


with  the  pointed 
,  both  parallel 


Fold  both  ends 
Fig.  31,  and 


together,  as  in 
upon  the  line 


Fig.  31 


punch  four  holes  through  both  thicknesses. 

Cut  a  paper  pattern  to  the  size  of  Fig.  30,  draw 
the  horizontal  lines,  fold  the  paper  in  two  or  four 


> 


Fig.  32 


Fig.  33 


166  THE  AET  CRAFTS  FOE  BEGINNERS 


parts,  and 
Hr  q_  draw  either 


Fig.  32  or 
Fig.  33  as  a 
unit,  fold- 


Fig.  34 


ing  and  rubbing,  and  so  completing  the  whole. 

This  pattern  may  be  fastened  securely  upon  the 
leather  by  putting  tacks  or  pins  through  the  punched 
holes  in  either  end. 

Then  transfer  the  lines  to  the  leather  by  pressing 
through  with  the  pointed  tool. 

The  design  here  given  is  one  that  will  explain  it¬ 
self  from  any  viewpoint,  and  some  such  repeating 
pattern  of  at  least  three  units  is  better  for  this 
problem. 

The  lines  are  cut  straight  into  the  dry  leather, 
one  half  way  through  (see  Fig.  34,  a).  The  diffi¬ 
culty  is  to  do  this  without  going  all  the  way  through. 

Of  course  this  process  weakens  the  leather,  and  if 
it  is  used  in  a  belt  or  any  object  which  must  sus¬ 
tain  a  strain,  only  heavy  cowhide  will  answer. 

It  is  better  to  leave  a  slight  interval  or  .|ocj| 
bridge  between  the  cuts,  especially  where  two 
lines  come  together  at  a  long  angle,  as  they  do  |  f 


at  a,  Fig.  33. 


Fig.  35 


LEATHER-WORK 


167 


After  all  the  cuts  have  been  carefully  made,  wet 
the  leather,  and  with  the  V-shaped  tool  spread  them 
as  indicated  in  Fig.  34,  b-c.  This  process  will  push 
the  leather  upon  either  side  to  a  slight  ridge  (c, 
Fig.  34).  Now,  if  desired,  you  may  leave  the  design 
in  this  condition,  or  the  background  spaces  may  be 
first  modeled  and  then  stamped.  (See  Fig.  32.) 


The  little  dia- 
indicates  the 
ground  stamp 
filed  from  tool- 
large  wire  nail 
ing).  Several 
can  be  pur- 
large  dealer  in 
special  metal  - 


Fig.  36 


gram  at  Fig.  35 
form  of  a  back- 
which  may  be 
steel  or  from  a 
(Metal  -  Work- 
forms  of  stamps 
chased  of  any 
h a rdware  or 
workers’  tools. 


Another  method  of  treatment  is  to  carve  only  the 
outlines,  then  tint  the  decoration  with  water-color  or 
diamond  dyes. 

Now  cut  a  strip  of  leather  X  4",  knot  one  end 
of  it,  and  starting  with  the  upper  hole  thread  it 
through,  bringing  it  out  through  the  next  hole,  then 
under  again  and  back  through  the  lower  hole,  fin¬ 
ishing  with  a  knot  and  completing  the  ring  as  it 
looks  in  Fig.  36. 


168  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Raffia  or  ribbon  may  be  used  in  place  of  the  leather 
strip. 

Any  of  the  previous  designs  in  modeled  leather 
may  be  adapted  to  carved  work,  and  Fig.  23,  the 
thistle  design,  from  the  naturally  stiff  and  pointed 
character  of  the  plant,  would  lend  itself  admirably 
to  this  treatment. 

Turning  to  the  extra  designs  given,  Fig.  37, 
adapted  from  a  South  Sea  carving,  would  naturally 
be  treated  as  a  carved  design.  An  examination  of 
Fig.  38  shows  a  number  of  small  round  spaces  into 
which  the  modeling  tools  will  readily  fit,  and  the 
background  may  be  roughened  with  the  stamp. 

The  same  is  true  in  greater  degree  of  the  ship 
panel. 

Enough  has  been  said  to  show  the  possibilities  of 
leather- work,  and  to  explain  the  simpler  processes  of 
the  craft.  It  remains  for  the  student  to  go  on  front 


F&m  Sea  carving 


©  DfLkT  D£S|CtM§>  * 

€AR\!E0iR  HEAVY  C©WHiO£L 
Bwa^T.  stampcd,©**  modeled 


From  WI.UO  Rose 


Fig.  37 


Fig.  38 


LEATHER-WORK 


169 


MODELED  AND  PAINTED  PAHEL 

Fig.  39 


this  and  develop  his  or  her  own  ideas,  perhaps  work¬ 
ing  out  simple  and  artistic  results  by  entirely  differ¬ 
ent  methods. 


CHAPTER  VI 


BOOKBINDING 


Forwarding,  End  Papers,  Marking-up, 
Sewing,  Gluing-up,  Rounding  and  Back¬ 
ing,  Cutting  and  Lacing-in  Boards, 
Lining-up,  Head-bands,  Paring,  Cover¬ 
ing,  Assistant  Finishing,  Finishing 


CHAPTER  VI 


BOOKBINDING 

PpHE  modern  revival  of  bookbinding  in  the  spirit 
of  thoroughness  of  the  medieval  craftsman,  is 
engaging  the  attention  of  many  amateurs  at  the 
present  time  so  that  no  book  on  the  art  crafts  is  com¬ 
plete  which  does  not  treat  of  the  subject  to  some 
extent. 

To  do  the  work  thoroughly  requires  an  equip¬ 
ment  large  and  expensive  in  comparison  with  the 
other  crafts,  and  to  do  it  in  a  makeshift  way  is  most 
unworkmanlike. 

The  best  we  can  do  with  our  limited  space  here 
is  to  give  the  student  some  suggestions  for  simple 
work  such  as  can  be  performed  by  beginners,  and 

173 


174  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


then  to  explain,  as  clearly  as  is  possible  in  print,  the 
“forwarding”  and  “finishing”  of  a  book  in  the  best 
method  of  the  craft. 

Let  it  be  nnderstood  from  the  first  that  we  are 
considering  special  binding  in  contradistinction  to 
trade  or  commercial  binding. 

The  directions  that  follow  are  as  clear  as  words 
and  working-drawings  can  make  them ;  but  the 
reader  will  come  to  a  better  understanding  of  each 
step  of  the  work  of  bookbinding  by  taking  apart  an 
old  copy  of  a  hand-sewn  book  and  comparing  it  with 
the  diagrams  and  the  printed  instructions.  A  visit 
to  a  neighboring  bindery  will  also  prove  of  practical 
interest. 

Magazines  in  general,  particularly  the  ten-cent 
variety,  are  as  a  rule  hardly  worthy  of  the  immense 
amount  of  time  required  to  do  special  binding.  If 
one’s  time  is  valued  at  anything  one  cannot  afford 
to  undertake  the  work  when  a  commercial  binder 
will  bind,  and  bind  well,  for  a  dollar  or  less  a 
volume. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  you  have  a  first  or  old  edi¬ 
tion  of  some  standard  or  really  good  piece  of  litera¬ 
ture,  in  which  paper,  type,  and  other  features  are 
worth  good  binding,  and  which  may  need  careful 


Designed  and  Bound  by  Miss  Starr 


BOOKBINDING 


177 

thought  and  patient  mending,  you  may  not  care  to 
intrust  such  a  volume  to  the  trade  binder  ;  and  you 
may  find  it  a  labor  of  love  to  undertake  the  job  of 
binding  it  yourself. 

A  simpler  and  less  trying  piece  for  a  beginner 
would  be  a  book  obtained  from  the  publishers  in 
sheets,  if  possible.  This  will  avoid  any  mending, 
and  will  allow  one  to  start  with  the  first  step  in 
binding,  thus  saving  the  work  of  undoing  the  orig¬ 
inal  binding. 

In  selecting  such  a  book  good  hand-made  paper, 
correct  margins,  and  satisfactory  press  work  in  every 
detail  should  be  insisted  upon,  and  the  subject-mat¬ 
ter  of  the  volume  assuredly  should  be  of  intrinsic 
merit. 

If  we  wish  to  emulate  the  craftsmanship  of  the 
medieval  binders,  nothing  but  the  best  material  and 
most  thorough  methods  will  suffice. 

For  the  special  binding  of  books,  at  school  or 
in  the  home,  the  following  equipment  (p.  178),  which 
is  kept  as  simple  as  possible,  will  be  required.  In  some 
cases  ingenious  and  efficient  substitutes  may  be  found 
to  take  the  place  of  articles  named.  Any  article  on 
the  list  with  which  the  reader  is  not  already  familiar 
may  be  obtained  at  any  bookbinder’s  supply  store. 


178  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Sewing-frame  (Fig.  5). 

Pressing-boards. 

Backing-boards. 

Tins  for  pressing. 

Celluloid  sheets. 

Letter-press  (ordinary  office  press). 
Finishing-press. 

Lying-  or  cutting-press. 

Plow. 

Carpenter’s  square. 

Dividers. 

Straight  edge  or  metal  ruler. 

Awl. 

Backing-hammer  (Fig.  12). 

Paste-brush. 

Ivory  or  bone  folders. 

1  ordinary  cutting-knife  (see  Leather- work ). 

2  knives  for  paring  leather  (Fig.  15). 

Band-nippers. 

Band-stick. 

Knocking-down  iron,  also  used  as  weights  for  less  heavy 
pressing.  The  actual  k-d  iron  cannot  be  had  in  this  coun¬ 
try:  a  handleless  flat-iron  or  other  substitutes  must  be  used. 

Forwarding  a  Dummy  Book.— By  “forwarding,” 
in  bookbinding,  is  meant  all  the  steps  toward  the 
completion  of  a  book,  up  to,  but  not  including,  “fin¬ 
ishing,”  or  the  lettering  and  decoration  of  the  same. 
A  wise  and  eminently  safe  beginning  in  bookbind- 


BOOKBINDING 


179 


ing  is  to  practise  first  on  a  dummy  or  blank-book.  This 
may  be  planned,  as  to  thickness  and  dimensions,  to 
meet  the  requirements  of  a  journal,  guest-book,  or 
scrap-book,  as  the  case  may  be.  The  quality  of 
paper  used  will  depend,  of  course,  on  the  nature  of 
the  book.  Ordinarily,  you  will  do  well  to  select  a 
medium-grade  cream  or  white  and  a  medium  size 
paper.  Artist’s  charcoal-paper  is  excellent.  These 
sheets  will  be  possibly  eight  times  the  size  of  the 
book  determined  upon.  Now  carefully  fold  and  cut 
once,  then  refold  and  cut  each  half  until  double  the 
size  of  the  final  page  is  obtained. 

Sections  will  be  made  up  of  from  three  to  eight 
folded  sheets,  depending  on  the  weight  and  bulk  of 
paper,  and  as  many  sections  used  as  may  be  desired. 

A  book  of  medium  thickness  is  somewhat  easier  to 
handle,  as  well  as  more  quickly  sewn. 

These  sections,  with  the  “  end-paper  ”  sections, 
must  now  be  pressed  between  pressing-boards  and 
tins,  in  the  letter-press,  preferably  over-night. 

End  Papers.  — The  “end-papers”  are  blank  sheets 
occurring  at  the  front  and  back  of  the  book,  and  are 
not  only  a  protection  to  it,  but  also  help  to  give  it  a 
respectable  appearance,  and  should  be  generously 
allowed  for. 


180  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Always  three  or  four  end¬ 
papers,  not  counting  the  paste- 
downs,  are  to  be  found  at  either 
end  of  a  book,  and  are  pre¬ 
pared  as  follows  : 


Fig.  1 


Take  two  carefully  folded  sheets  of  paper  slightly 
larger  than  the  book,  mark  them  with  dividers, 
from  the  back,  near  the  top  and  bottom  (Fig.  1), 
and  paste  the  second  folded  sheet  to  the  first  as  far  as 
these  points  (Fig.  2),  and  then  press. 

When  the  paste  is  quite  dry,  fold  A1  back  over 
Bl,  and  A2  the  reverse  way,  when  the  sheets  will 
appear  as  in  Fig.  3.  Another  folded  sheet  is  inserted 
at  P,  and  the  sewing  passes  through  this,  as  well  as 
through  PI. 

When  the  paste-down  Bl  is  to  be  pasted  down  to 
line  the  inside  of  the  board,  the  waste  A1  is  torn 
out.  This  joint,  known  as  Cockerall  zigzag,  is 


necessary  to  give 
a  spring  to  the 


A  a- 


Fig.  2 


^  boardand  to  pre¬ 
vent  its  tearing 
the  end  -  paper 
away  from  the 
book.  These 


BOOKBINDING 


181 


two  sections  of  end-papers 
must  be  pressed  with  the  book 
before  sewing. 


A' 

B* 


Marking  -  up.  —  “  Marking-  P1 


up  ”  consists  in  determining 
and  marking  across  the  back 


Fig.  3 


A* 


of  the  sections  the  position  of  the  sewing-cord. 

These  are  usually  five  in  number,  though  they 
vary  with  extreme  sizes  of  books,  at  the  discretion 
of  the  binder. 

Divide  the  back  of  book  with  dividers  (beginning 
at  the  head)  into  six  parts— five  equal  ones,  with 
that  at  the  tail  slightly  greater.  Having  determined 
the  position  of  the  cords,  draw  heavy  pencil-lines 
across  the  back,  marking  every  section. 

Mark  the  position  of  the  kettle-stitch  (or  catch- 
stitch)  about  half  an  inch  either  end  (KK,  Fig.  4). 
These  are  sawed  or  filed  in  to  a  depth  of  about  one 
eighth  of  an  inch. 

Sewing. — A  sewing-frame  such  as  has  been  used 


certainly  since  the  sixteenth 
century,  and  probably 
earlier,  is  shown  in  Fig.  5, 
and  is  still  in  use. 


Fig.  4 


The  best  hemp  cord  should 


12 


182  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOE  BEGINNERS 


be  used,  the  size  varying  somewhat  according  to  the 
size  of  book.  Five  cords  are  now  tied  to  A  and  fast¬ 
ened  below  B,  on  a  special  key  made  for  that  pur¬ 
pose.  Or,  as  the  keys  are  not  easily  obtainable  in 
this  country,  a  good-sized  nail  may  be  used,  around 
which  the  cords  are  twisted  and  firmly  tied  (Fig.  6). 

Now  adjust  the  cords  to  correspond  to  the  marks  on 
the  book,  and  tighten  them  by  screwing  up  the  cross¬ 
bar  (Fig.  6). 

The  book  will  now  be  sewn,  beginning  with  the 
first  section,  which  is  laid  face  down,  head  to  the 
right,  back  against  the  cords  on  a  pressing-board 
which  is  larger  than  the  book,  and  which  raises  the 
section  from  the  bed  of  the  frame  and  lessens  the 
difficulty  of  inserting 
the  needle. 

The  needle,  thread¬ 
ed  with  a  good  linen 
or  silk  thread,  medium 
weight,  is  inserted 
from  the  outside  first 
at  the  nearer 
right-hand  ket¬ 
tle-stitch. 

An  end  of,  say, 


Fig.  5 


BOOKBINDING 


183 


G  two  inches  is  left  at  this 
g  first  kettle-stitch,  to  tie  to 
g  later,  and  the  rest  of  the 
=  |§  =  =|  S  js  thread  pulled  through. 

The  needle  is  now  in 
Fig.  6  the  middle  of  the  section 

and  will  be  passed  out  at  the  left-hand  side  of  the  first 
cord,  the  thread  pulled  taut,  and  the  needle  inserted 
again  into  the  hole  out  of  which  it  came,  but  from  the 
opposite  side  of  the  cord,  and  so  on  around  all  the  five 
cords,  and  finally  out  at  the  kettle-stitch  at  the  foot 
(Fig.  7). 

The  next  section  is  laid  on  and  is  sewn  from  foot 
to  head,  similarly,  after  which  the  thread  is  tied  to 
the  loose  end  left  at  the  first  kettle-stitch.  The  third 
section  is  then  laid  on  and  sewn,  but  when  its  tail 
kettle-stitch  is  reached,  the  under  thread  connections, 
sections  1  and  2,  are  tied  too,  as  shown  in  Fig.  8. 

This  kettle-stitch  is  repeated  at  each  end  through¬ 
out  the  book.  When  the  last  end-paper  has  been 
sewn  on,  a  double 
kettle-stitch  ismade, 
which  completes  the 
sewing.  The  cords 
may  now  be  cut  off, 


SECTIONS  OP  The.  Boots 


-  ^  —  ret:  I  I U; 

>Ewinq  arovnd  Cords  stitch 
Fig.  7 


184  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


leaving  about  three 
inches  on  each  side  of 
book,  for  fraying  and 
later  lacing  into  the 
boards. 

Gluing-up.  —  For  this  operation  the  best  cabinet¬ 
makers’  glue  is  used,  prepared  in  the  usual  way,  hav¬ 
ing  been  soaked  overnight  and  shortly  before  needed 
cooked  in  boiling  water  to  a  smooth,  clear,  rather 
thin  consistency. 

A  large  brush  of  good  quality  is  used.  The  book 
is  knocked  up  squarely  at  the  back  and  head,  put 
between  two  pieces  of  millboard  or  old  cloth  covers, 
covering  the  cords,  and  screwed  up  in  the  lying-press, 
exposing  the  back  only  (Fig. 

9).  Hot  glue  is  now  daubed 
thoroughly  on  to  and  into  the 
back  of  the  book.  The  press 
must  not  be  screwed  so  tight 
as  to  result  in  the  glue  re¬ 
maining  entirely  on  the  sur¬ 
face,  nor  left  loose  enough  to 
allow  of  its  penetrating  too 
deeply  between  the  sections. 

Rounding  and  backing.— Be - 


j'cixr 


Fig.  9 


BOOKBINDING 


185 


fore  the  glue  has  hardened,  but  after  it  has  ceased 
to  be  “tacky,”  the  book  is  removed  from  the  press 
aud  rounded,  during  which  process  the  back  is  curved 
slightly  and  evenly. 

The  degree  of  curvature  will  depend  upon  the 
natural  disposition  or  tendency  of  the  book,  and  par¬ 
tially  as  well  upon  the  taste  or  wish  of  the  binder. 

All  books  will  be  rounded  somewhat,  to  prevent 
the  possibility  of  their  later  becoming  concave. 

Bounding  consists  in  drawing  the  sections  over 
and  tapping  slightly  with  a  hammer,  first  on  one 
side  of  the  book  and  then  on  the  other,  resulting  in 
an  even  convex  form  at  the  back  and  a  correspond¬ 
ingly  concave  form  of  the  fore  edges  of  the  book. 

In  Backing  a  book  the  rounding  is  completed, 
made  permanent,  and  the  book  given  a  firm,  smooth 
back.  A  backing-board  is  placed  on  either  side  of 
the  book,  back  from  the  edge,  just  the  thickness  of 
the  boards. 

This  projection  of  the  book  will  cause  a  joint,  into 
which  the  boards  should  just  fit.  In  placing  boards 
and  arranging  for  screwing  up  in  the  press,  firm 
handling,  endless  pains,  and  no  little  patience  are 
required. 


186  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Frequently  one  or  both  boards  slip,  leaving  a 
greater  projection  of  the  book  at  one  end  or  side ; 
this  must  be  carefully  avoided. 

When  the  book  is  ready,  screw  the  press  up  very 
tight.  With  a  back-hammer— and  it  should  not  be 
a  heavy  one  —  proceed  gently  and  cautiously  to  start 
the  sections  in  the  right  direction,  bringing  them 
over  from  the  middle  each  way.  Then  with  heavier, 
firmer  strokes  go  over  the  entire  back,  taking  care 
that  the  joint  is  as  sharply  defined  as  possible.  Fig. 
9  shows  the  rounded  back,  and  the  joint  is  indicated 
by  the  arrow. 

Cutting  and  Lacing -in  Boards.— A  good,  firm  mill¬ 
er  tar-board  should  be  used  for  cover-boards. 
Both  come  in  several  thicknesses,  from  which  the 
binder  will  choose,  according  to  the  size  of  the  vol¬ 
ume  in  hand. 

First  cut  the  boards  roughly  to  size  of  the  book, 
allowing,  say,  one  inch  beyond. 

Plow.— This  is  the  binders’  cutting-knife,  which  is 
now  employed  to  obtain  the  exact  size  and  perfectly 
clean-cut,  smooth  edges.  The  two  boards  are  placed 
in  the  cutting-press  against  a  piece  of  stiff  mill- 
board,  or  against  a  piece  made  by  pasting  together 
two  or  three  thinner  pieces  of  millboard. 


BOOKBINDING 


187 


The  plow  (with  plough-knife  extended  about  1" 
and  screwed  in)  is  placed  in  the  groove  of  press 
provided  for  it,  held  by  the  hand  and  screw,  and 
run  slowly  and  smoothly  backward  and  forward ; 
a  slight  turn  of  the  screw  brings  the  knife  forward. 
When  the  two  thicknesses  are  cut  through,  remove 
the  boards  and  line  them. 

Lining -up.  —  With  a  piece  of  common  white  paper, 
line  one  side  of  each  board. 

Paste  Formula.— A.  good  paste  may  be  made  to 
use  for  bookbinding  purposes,  as  follows :  £  pound 
of  flour  (two  cups)  ;  2  teaspoons  of  alum,  dissolved. 
Mix  the  flour  with  a  little  cold  water,  getting  the 
lumps  out  with  the  hands.  Add  8  cups  of  hot  water 
and  boil,  stirring  constantly.  This  becomes  partly 
clear  when  done.  Add  £  teaspoon  of  essence  of 
wintergreen  and  sassafras,  which  helps  keep  the 
paste  sweet. 

The  paste  is  to  be  used  cold,  and  applied  with  a 
large  brush.  Cover  the  lining-papers  evenly,  and  as 
thinly  as  possible.  Place  on  the  board  to  be  lined, 
and  rub  perfectly  smooth,  using  the  palm  of  hands 
and  folder. 

Be  sure  to  have  both  the  inner  and  double  lining- 
papers  pasted  down  uniformly  and  perfectly  smooth. 


188  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


The  lined  covers  should  be  pressed  for  a  few  moments 
only,  and  then  stood  up  to  dry. 

Now  if  the  boards  are  dry,  continue  cutting 
them  in  the  plow  down  to  the  size  of  the  book. 
Decide  upon  the  square  or  projection  of  board  be¬ 
yond  the  leaves  of  the  book,  usually  or  less  if 
the  edges  are  plow-cut ;  more  if  they  are  rough  or 
deckled. 

Mark  this  square  accurately,  using  dividers  and 
try-square.  Place  in  the  press  with  double  linings 
together,  and  cut  to  the  marks  with  plow. 

Test  again  with  the  try-square,  and  by  reversing 
the  position  of  boards ;  then  mark  and  cut  the 
remaining  sides.  When  perfectly  square,  and  of  the 
required  size,  place  the  boards  on  the  book  in  their 
final  position,  hold  firmly  in  place  with  the  left 
hand,  and  with  the  right  mark  accurately  the  posi¬ 
tion  of  the  cords  on  the  back  edge  of  the  board. 

Lacing -in  Boards.— Remove  the  book  from  the 
press  and  finish  fraying  or  thinning  the  cords.  Use 
a  knife  for  thinning  or  reducing  the  cords  equally, 
but  leaving  them  strong  and  long  enough  to  hold  the 
covers  on  to  the  book. 

Mark  both  boards,  and  then  cut  accurately  a  V- 
shaped  groove  or  depression  back  to  a  line  drawn 


Designed  and  Bound  by  Peter  Verburg 


bookbinding 


191 


about  f  from  the  edge  of  the  board  (Fig.  10).  Into 
these  depressions  the  cords  will  fit. 

AYith  hammer  and  awl  two  sets  of  holes  are 
punched -the  first  set  at  the  point  of  the  Y-shaped 
cut?  and  the  second  just  above  and  inward  from  the 


first  (Fig.  10) ; 
punched  from 
the  board  at  a 
These  holes 
just  large  enough 
serting  the 
now  smeared 
twisted  to  a 
Lace  on  one 
the  five  cords 
of  holes  (Fig. 
cords  through 


Fig.  10 


these  last  to  be 
the  under  side  of 
slight  angle, 
must  be  only 
to  allow  for  in- 
cords,  which  are 
with  paste  and 
point. 

board,  inserting 
into  the  first  set 
11,  a).  Draw  the 
firmly,  and  re¬ 


turn  them  through  the  second  set  at  b. 

The  board  should  close  down  to  the  book  stiffly 
if  the  lacing  is  snug  enough.  Lace  in  the  other 
board,  then  tap  the  cords  slightly  with  a  hammer  to 
prevent  their  slipping,  and  cut  off  the  ends  with  a 
knife  very  close  to  the  book. 

A  knocking-down  iron  (Fig.  12,  A)  is  placed  in  the 
cuttmg-press  and  the  lacings  or  cords  hammered 


192  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


vigorously,  matting  them 
into  the  boards  and  leaving 
a  smooth  surface  inside  and 
out  (Fig.  12). 

The  book  must 
now  be  pressed, 
a  tin  inside  and  < 
side  of  each  boa 
the  ones  between 
board  and  the  book 
pushed  quite  up  to  the  joint,  and  the  outside  tins 
placed  up  to,  or  a  little  over,  the  same. 

While  in  the  press  paste  is  applied  to  the  back  of 
the  book  and  allowed  to  soak  in  for  a  few  minutes. 
This  softens  the  surplus  glue  so  that  it  may  now  be 
scraped  off  with  a  palette-knife  or  a  piece  of  wood. 

Leave  the  book  in  the  press  over  night  at  least, 
after  which  it  is  ready  for  the  head-bands. 

Head lands.— Cut  two  narrow  strips  of  vellum,  not 
quite  as  wide  as  the  projection  of  boards,  and  about 
an  inch  longer  than  the  book  is  thick.  These  are 
to  be  buttonholed  with  silk  upon  head  and  tail  ot  the 
book  at  the  back. 

Stand  the  book  in  the  finishing-press  (Fig.  13), 
v  indicating  the  position  of  the  vellum.  Thread  a 


BOOKBINDING 


193 


needle  with  medium-heavy  silk  thread 
or  floss  and  sew  in  the  direction  of  the 
arrow,  through 
the  first  two  white 
end-papers,  the 
needle  coming  out 
at  the  back  of  the 
book  below  the  kettle-stitch. 

Come  up  over  the  vellum  and  re¬ 
peat  this  first  stitch,  in  the  same 
place  making  a  loop  of  silk  over 
the  vellum.  The  silk  is  pulled 
thiough  the  needle  halt  and  half,  one  half  being 
now  at  the  back  of  the  book  and  the  other  half  in 
front,  on  top. 

Bring  the  thread  from  the  back  forward,  and 
that  from  the  front  backward,  crossing  the  other 
and  passing  under  the  vellum  and  forward  again. 
This  makes  a  buttonhole  twist  covering  the  vellum. 
Repeat,  keeping  the  threads  taut  and  the  stitches 
close  together,  and  the  beading  even  and  regular. 
At  frequent  intervals— about  every  half  inch— the 
book  is  again  sewn  into  below  the  kettle-stitch. 

Finish  the  head-band,  when  the  last  section  is 
reached,  by  sewing  down  between  the  last  end-pa- 


Fig.  12 


194  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


pers,  tying  threads  securely  at  the  back  of  the  book. 
Then  cut  off  the  surplus  vellum  and  thread. 

The  silk  is  kept  from  a  possible  slipping  off  the 
ends  of  the  vellum  by  a  slight  touch  of  paste. 

One  must  have  studied  the  head-bands  of  a  hand- 
bound  book  to  know  the  effect  desired,  as  it  is  most 
difficult  to  explain  in  words,  or  even  with  the  aid  of 
drawings. 

The  head-bands  are  held  in  place  and  reinforced 
by  gluing  to  the  back  of  the  book  a  piece  of  good 
paper  cut  just  to  fill  in  the  space  between  head  or 
foot  and  the  nearest  cord,  and  just  the  width  of  the 
book. 

Preparing  for  Covering.— Alter  sandpapering  away 
any  possible  roughness  which  may 
have  been  left  from  the  glue  or 
from  other  causes,  and  cutting 
off  a  tiny  triangle  from  the 
four  back  corners  of  the 
board  (Fig.  14),  the 
book  is  ready  for  the 
leather. 

The  leather  used  for  covering  will 
probably  be  Morocco  or  Levant,  possibly 
Niger.  In  any  case  the  first  quality  should  i3 


BOOKBINDING 


195 


be  used,  and  as  some  experience 
is  required  before  oue  can  be¬ 
come  a  good  judge  of  leather,  he 
will  do  well  to  patronize  only  a 
thoroughly  reliable  dealer. 

The  skins  may  be  purchased 
already  pared  little  or  much. 

It  is  dangerous  to  get  one  too 
thinly  pared,  for  though  it  les¬ 
sens  the  labor  of  the  binder,  it 
certainly  weakens  the  leather. 

Bettei  select  a  thicker  skin  and  do  the  necessary 
paring  where  it  is  required,  particularly  around  the 
edges  and  also  through  the  center  portion  which  is 
to  cover  the  cords  or  back  of  the  book  and  for  this 
reason  must  be  thin  and  flexible. 

Paying.  A  lithographers’  stone  is  convenient  to 
pare  on,  though  a  marble-topped  table,  if  you  have 
one,  will  do  nicely. 

Various  paring-knives  are  shown  by  the  dealers, 
and  binders  use  different  styles.  I  recommend  a 
small  saddlers’  knife,  such  as  is  shown  in  Fig.  15,  and 
this  must  be  kept  very  sharp. 

Cut  from  the  hide  a  piece  of  leather  large  enough 
to  cover  the  entire  book  in  hand,  allowing  an  inch 


196  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

on  all  sides  for  turning  in  ;  and  pare  the  whole  edge 
for  an  inch  at  least,  inward. 

It  should  be  very  thin  at  the  extreme  edge. 
Coarse  sandpaper  may  be  used  to  good  advantage 
after  a  very  little  paring  has  been  done,  especially  in 
the  middle  part  of  the  leather,  woik- 

ing  from  top  to  S'  ">\  bottom. 

Covering.- What-  )  ever  is  to  be  used 

in  the  work  of  put-  ]  /  ting  on  the  leather 

should  be  at  hand  before  the  covering 

is  started,  including  1 1«  paste,  brush,  paste  - 

cloth,  folders,  nick-  /  eled  band-nippers, 

band-stick,  clean  f»  sponge,  a  little 

water  in  saucer,  and  \  l||f  cehuloid  or  water¬ 
proof  sheets  the  size  of  the  book. 

The  leather  is  g  now  covered  uni¬ 

formly  with  paste,  which  must  be  smooth  and  per¬ 
fectly  free  from  lumps. 

The  back  of  the  book  is  placed  in  the  center  of 
this  pasted  leather,  the  inch  margin  left  at  head  and 
foot.  Bring  the  leather  up  on  the  sides,  pull  slightly, 
and  rub  perfectly  smooth  with  the  palms  of  the 
hands  or  bone  folders. 

Stand  the  book  upon  its  fore  edge  and  nip  up  the 
bands  with  the  band-nippers,  working  down  the 


BOOKBINDING 


197 


leather  between  the  cords  with  the  band-stick— a  bit 
of  smooth,  hard  wood  with  straight  edges. 

Much  time  and  pressure  are  required  in  this  opera¬ 
tion,  and  we  shall  return  to  it  later.  Before  the 
paste  is  too  dry  the  leather  on  the  head  and  tail  must 
be  turned  in,  and  then  the  leather  on  the  fore  edges, 
and  the  corners  mitered.  Especial  care  must  be  taken 
to  have  a  sharp,  smooth  edge. 

At  the  head  and  tail  a  little  paste  will  be  needed 
on  that  part  of  the  leather  which  will  turn  in  be¬ 
hind  the  head-bands. 

This  fold  of  leather  behind  the  head-bands  is 
brought  forward  slightly  and  tapped  down  to  form 
the  head-cap,  partly  concealing  the  head-bands. 

Now  open  the  covers  one  at  a  time  and  cut  off  the 
extra  leather  at  each  corner,  tucking  one  edge  neatly 
under  the  other. 

Insert  the  celluloid  sheets  between  the  covers  and 
the  book,  to  prevent  dampness  being  absorbed  by  the 
latter.  Close  the  volume  and  stand  it  on  its  fore 
edge,  holding  it  firmly  while  the  process  of  nipping 
up  the  bands  and  smoothing  down  the  leather  be¬ 
tween  them  is  completed. 

A  piece  of  cord  is  tied  around  the  book  at  the 
back  (Fig.  16),  causing  the  leather  to  adhere  tightly, 


198  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


and  accentuating  the  joint  caused  by  the  slight  cut¬ 
ting  away  of  the  corners  at  the  back.  The  book  is 
now  left  under  slight  pressure  until  perfectly  dry. 

Assistant  Finishing. — Trim  the  leather  neatly  to  an 
even  margin  on  the  inside  of  the  covers,  tear  out  the 
waste  end-paper,  and  line  the  board  with  the  upaste- 
down”  provided  in  the  end-paper  section. 

Finishing.— The  decorating  and  lettering  is  usu¬ 
ally  done  by  means  of  tools  ;  and  the  process  is  tech¬ 
nically  known  as  “ tooling.” 

These  finishing-tools  are  stamps  of  metal  held  in  a 


wooden  handle. 

A  unit  of  a  design,  letter,  or  other  device  is  cut  in 
this  tool-metal  (Fig.  17).  Tooling  may  be  either 
blind  or  gold ;  the  first  consisting  of  the  mere  or 
blind  impress  of  the  tool  upon  the  leather,  while  in 
the  latter,  as  you  may  infer,  the  gold-leaf  is  added. 

The  possibilities  of  tools 
—their  use  in  most  elab 
orate  combinations  and  de¬ 
signs— is  very  great,  but  I 
shall  undertake  to  describe 
only  the  simplest  method 
of  finishing  a  book  in  this 

way,  and  the  steps  involved.  Pig  us 


BOOKBINDING 


199 


Tools.  —  At  least  two  sizes  of  letters,  both  caps 
and  lower-case,  must  be  owned  by  any  finisher. 

Fillets,  or  wheels  on  handles,  for  making  lines, 
several  gouges  or  curved-line  tools,  as  well  as  a  few 
simple  units, 
such  as  dots, 
leaves,  or  other 
standard  forms, 
may  be  pur-  Pig- 17 

chased  at  first,  and  later  added  to  with  tools  of  one’s 
own  design,  cut  to  order  as  they  are  needed. 

For  the  book  in  hand  only  three  tools  (besides 
letters)  are  required:  the  fillet,  a  small  leaf,  and 
tiny  gouge. 

It  is  a  small  volume  and  thin— so  thin  that  the 
title  cannot  go  comfortably  upon  the  back  ;  hence  I 
must  decide  where  to  put  it  on  the  side  and  plan  the 
decoration  with  reference  to  this  panel  of  lettering. 

No  more  simple  scheme  could  be  devised  than  that 
shown  in  Fig.  18  with  the  panel  of  lettering  across 
the  top,  and  an  “all-over”  pattern  filling  the  re¬ 
maining  space.  Diagonals  are  first  drawn  and  the 
leaf,  with  the  tiny  gouge  forming  the  stem,  placed  at 
each  intersection.  The  title  is  in  gold  and  the  rest 
in  blind-tooling. 

13 


200  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


A  piece  of  thin  bond-paper  is  cut  just  the  size  of 
the  book,  and  upon  this  the  panel  for  lettering  is 
planned,  border  lines  and  diagonals  drawn. 

The  leaf-  and  ^stem-tools  used  are  slightly  black¬ 
ened  in  a  candle  flame  and  impressed  upon  the  paper 
at  the  diagonal  intersections. 

This  pattern  is  then  lightly  pasted  to  the  leather 
at  the  four  corners  of  the  book,  and  the  heated  tools 
applied.  Tools  are  heated  on  a  finishing-stove  or 
iron  frame  which  will  support  them  near  a  gas  or 
other  flame. 

A  wet  sponge  in  a  dish  is 
used  as  a  cooling-pad,  and 
upon  which  the  hot  tools  are 
tested.  They  should  hiss 
slightly  and  should  be  too  cool 
rather  than  too  hot,  as  the  im¬ 
pression  may  be  deepened 
after  removing  the  paper. 

The  title  to  be  finished  in 
gold  must  be  painted  in 
“  glaire.” 

Finishers ’  glaire  is  made  by 
beating  well  the  white  of  an 
egg,  which  is  then  diluted 


Fig.  18 


BOOKBINDING 


201 


with  half  the  quantity  of  vinegar  and  allowed  to 
settle.  The  cover  is  then  washed  with  thin  paste- 
water,  then  the  glaire  is  applied  to  the  blind  impres¬ 
sions  which  are  to  be  covered  with  gold  with  a  small 


finely  pointed  brush.  When  glaire  has  ceased  to  be 
“tacky”  the  gold-leaf  is  laid  on. 

Gold-leaf  may  be  purchased  in  booklets  containing 
a  dozen  or  more  small  sheets.  Only  the  best  quality 
should  be  used. 

Gold-leaf  is 
difficult  to  han¬ 
dle— almost  im¬ 
possible  if  there 
is  any  draft 


Fig.  19 


present  or  grease  on  the  cushion  or  knife  (Fig.  19). 

A  strip  of  gold-leaf  as  wide  as  the  letters  are  high 
and  long  enough  to  cover  three  or  four  is  cut  on 
the  cushion  of  chamois-skin  (Fig.  19)  and  trans¬ 
ferred  by  means  of  a  bit  of  slightly  oily  cotton  to 
the  letters. 


The  heated  tools  are  again  applied  over  the  gold. 
Before  using  any  tool  it  should  be  rubbed  off  on  a 
strip  of  leather  provided  for  this  purpose,  to  insure 
cleanliness  and  to  polish  the  end  slightly. 

Often  two  or  three  or  four  thicknesses  of  gold  are 


202  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

required  before  the  pattern,  or  in  this  case  the  let¬ 
ters,  are  uniformly  covered. 

When  the  tooling  is  finished  and  the  surplus  gold 
removed  with  a  bit  of  cotton  the  book  may  be 
washed  with  benzine  to  remove  any  grease  or  soil. 

This  completes  the  processes  without  going  into 
more  complications. 

The  reproductions  of  work  here  given  illustrate 
the  possibilities  of  combining  simple  units  into  pat¬ 
terns. 

The  craft  is  very  thoroughly  discussed  in  “Book 
Binding  and  the  Care  of  Books,”  by  Douglass  Cock¬ 
erell. 

Other  books  of  interest  to  the  amateur  binder 
are  : 


“Book-Binding.”  Hone. 

“Book-Bindings  —  Old  and  New.”  Matthews. 

1  ‘  History  of  Book  Binding.  ’  ’  Brassington. 

Turning  now  from  the  constructive  or  craftsman 
side  of  bookbinding  to  the  esthetic  or  fine-art  side, 
we  find  that,  broadly  speaking,  there  are  two  schools 
of  designers.  On  the  one  hand  we  find  those  who 
hold  that  the  binding  of  a  book  is  a  thing  of  beauty, 
complete  and  satisfying  in  itself,  just  as  a  picture  is 


BOOKBINDING 


203 


Cover  by  Blanche  McManus  Mansfield 


204  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


complete, — a  thing  designed  without  necessarily  hav¬ 
ing  any  reference  to  the  subject-matter  of  the  book  ; 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  we  have  those  who  believe  that 
the  decorative  motive  of  the  cover  should  be  subor¬ 
dinated  to  the  character  of  the  contents— like  a  page 
standing,  as  it  were,  without  an  entrance  and  wearing 
the  livery  of  the  master  within. 

The  beautiful  bindings  of  Miss  Starr  and  Mr. 
Yerburg  here  shown  are  of  themselves  excellent  in 
design  and  workmanship  ;  whether  they  typify  the 
highest  art  of  the  craft  or  not  is  to  revive  the  old, 
old  controversy  between  the  idealist  and  the  realist 
—  abstract  beauty  or  concrete  development  of 
character. 


CHAPTER  YII 
¥ 


SIMPLE  POTTERY 


Clays  Suitable  for  Pottery,  The  Chief 
Tools,  Method  to  be  Followed  in 
Molding,  Decorative  Treatment,  Kilns 


CHAPTER  VII 


SIMPLE  POTTERY 

BECAUSE  of  its  flexibility  and  simplicity  as  a 
means  of  art  expression,  because  of  universal 
use  of  its  product,  and  from  the  fact  that  in  its  almost 
identical  present  form  it  was  one  of  the  important 
occupations  of  primitive  man,  the  art  of  making  pot¬ 
tery  lays  claim  to  our  interest. 

It  was  when  he  had  discovered  (so  tradition  tells 
us)  that  the  clay  which  had  formed  the  bed  of  his 
fire  was  baked  into  a  hard  bowl-shaped  object  which 
could  be  lifted  about,  that  the  idea  of  making  fire- 
baked  pottery  first  came  to  the  mind  of  prehis¬ 
toric  man.  Later,  when  sand,  accidentally  present  in 
his  material,  melted  in  course  of  the  baking  and  ran 
down  the  sides  of  his  vessel,  he  first  conceived  the 
notion  of  glazing  it. 


207 


208  THE  AET  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGINNEES 


To  the  discoveries  thus  accidentally  made  ages 
ago,  uo  essentials  have  been  added.  The  potters’ 
wheel  facilitates  the  building  of  forms ;  the  process 
of  casting  makes  possible  the  absolute  reproduction 
of  them.  Experiment  and  scientific  research  have  put 
into  the  hands  of  the  potter  such  control  of  his  mate¬ 
rial  that  he  became  able  to  procure  any  quality  of  ware, 
from  that  of  the  commonest  flower-pot  to  that  of  the 
finest  china  ;  but  it  is  a  truth  that  among  the  primi¬ 
tive  races  of  the  earth  to-day  pottery  is  being  pro¬ 
duced  which  is  equal  in  its  artistic  qualities  to  the 
product  of  the  best  kilns  of  the  civilized  world. 
Therefore  will  it  be  seen  that  the  processes  involved 
and  the  materials  employed  in  its  manufacture  must 
be  comparatively  simple  and  accessible. 

Clay  is  decomposed  rock,  containing,  in  addition  to 
those  materials  which  give  it  substance,  quantities  of 
water  both  in  mixture  and  in  chemical  combination. 
Water  in  the  former  state  can  be  separated  from  the 
clay  by  heating  the  mass  to  the  boiling-point  of 
water— a  process  after  which  the  clay,  though  dry,  is 
capable  of  being  restored  to  its  original  condition. 
The  water  which  is  with  the  clay  in  chemical  com¬ 
bination  can,  however,  be  removed  only  by  ignition — 
a  process  commonly  called  baking  or  “firing.”  After 


Coiled  and  Decorated  Pattern 

(Work  of  Chautauqua  School  of  Arts  and  Crafts) 


SIMPLE  POTTERY 


211 


being  fired,  clay  cannot  be  restored  to  plasticity.  Its 
value  in  the  manufacture  of  pottery  is,  of  course,  due 
to  this  fact.  Some  clays,  to  be  fired,  require  a  greater 
heat  than  others  ;  these  are  called  “hard  clays”  and 
the  process  “hard-firing.”  As  this  chapter  has  to  do 
with  the  use  of  pottery  as  a  means  of  art  expression 
rather  than  with  its  more  deeply  technical  phases, 
we  will  consider  here  the  treatment  of  soft  clays 
only— such  as  require  for  burning  and  decoration  but 
one  firing  in  an  overglaze  (soft  glaze)  kiln.  The 
kilns  commonly  used  for  firing  china  decoration  will 
fire  these  soft  clays. 

Clays  suitable  for  pottery  may  be  found  in  any  of 
the  common  earths  having  a  considerable  plastic 
quality.  The  process  of  separating  the  clay  from  the 
other  earth  matters  is  simple.  The  earth  is  pulver¬ 
ized  and  dissolved  in  water.  Stones  and  heavy  par¬ 
ticles  will  sink.  The  milky  fluid  which  remains— 
water  mixed  with  clay — may  theu  be  drawn  off  and 
allowed  to  settle,  the  clear  water  fiually  collecting  on 
the  top.  This  can  be  removed  by  a  siphon.  A  repe¬ 
tition  of  this  process  will  refine  the  clay. 

In  certain  localities,  clays  will  not  be  found  in  suffi¬ 
cient  quantities  or  of  suitable  quality  to  warrant  the 
above  process ;  and  potters’  clays  can  be  purchased 


212  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

at  the  rate  of  one  or  two  cents  a  pound  “in  the 
dry.” 

Clays  in  the  dry  come  as  a  fine  grayish  or  yellow¬ 
ish  powder.  To  prepare  these  for  use  it  is  of  course 
necessary  to  mix  them  with  water.  This  is  done  by 
putting  about  equal  quantities  of  clay  and  water  into 
a  basin  and  allowing  to  soak  for  ten  or  twelve  hours, 
after  which  the  mass  must  be  kneaded  thoroughly 
so  as  to  become  of  a  uniform  moisture  throughout. 
Kneading  also  works  out  air-bubbles,  which  if  allowed 
to  remain  in  the  clay  would  permit  the  generation 
of  steam  in  the  firing,  causing  explosions  fatal  to  the 
work.  In  this  connection,  then,  it  may  be  said  that 
clay  cannot  be  kneaded  too  much. 

If  clay  is  found  too  wet  for  satisfactory  work  (and 
its  proper  consistency  will  be  speedily  discerned  by 
the  person  handling  it),  the  superfluous  moisture 
may  be  worked  out  over  a  dry-board  or  a  plaster-of- 
Paris  bat.  This  is  made  by  pouring  plaster  of  Paris, 
to  the  depth  of  half  an  inch  or  so,  into  the  bottom  of 
an  oiled  pan.  The  bat  is  also  useful  as  a  bed  upon 
which  to  build  pottery. 

When  the  clay  proves  to  be  too  cohesive, — that  is, 
not  “short”  enough  for  use, — the  proper  condition  can 
be  brought  about  by  the  addition  of  fine  sand.  Clays 


SIMPLE  POTTERY 


213 


which  are  not  tough  enough,  but  inclined  to  crum¬ 
ble  in  the  handling,  can  be  made  more  cohesive  by 
the  addition  of  tannic  acid,  but  they  will  hardly 
repay  the  trouble. 

The  chief  tools  for  clay- working  are  the  fingers. 
There  are  wooden  tools,  such  as  shown  in  cuts  A  and 
B,  partaking  of  the  character  of  the  fingers,  which 
are  occasionally  useful  for  making  incisions  for  deco¬ 
ration,  etc.  These  can  easily  be  made  out  of  any 


fairly  hard  wood.  Other  shapes  may  suggest  them¬ 
selves.  At  C  is  represented  a  loop  tool  which  can 
be  made  of  a  piece  of  large  iron  wire  and  twisted 
with  a  finer  ware.  This  will  often  be  found  useful 
for  scraping  off  superfluous  clay  where  the  thick¬ 
ness  of  the  work  in  hand  has  become  too  great. 
The  presence  of  the  finer  wire  makes  control 
of  the  tool  more  easy.  The  drawing  at  D  repre- 
ents  a  tool  made  of  a  piece  of  spring  steel,  cut 


214  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


so  as  to  present  a  variety  of  edges.  It  will  now  and 
then  be  useful  in  securing  more  regularity  of  contour 
in  a  model.  It  is,  however,  always  wTell  to  bear  in 
mind  that  a  vessel  which,  while  possibly  just  missing 
absolute  symmetry,  bears  the  stamp  of  thoughtful 
hand-work  will  usually  have  more 
character  than  one  made  exactly  true 
by  mechanical  devices. 

It  is  hard  to  lay  out  any  particular 
method  to  be  followed  in  molding  a 
piece  of  pottery,  but  for  such  as  are  at 
a  loss  how  to  go  about  it  we  suggest 
the  following  course  of  procedure  : 

First,  of  course,  start  with  an  idea,  and  work  upon 
that.  It  is  most  strongly  to  be  urged  that  the  edu¬ 
cative  value  of  the  work,  and  indeed  the  very  success 
of  it,  is  in  a  large  measure  dependent  upon  the 
worker’s  having  some  definite  conception  to  follow  out. 

Beginning  with  a  lump  of  clay  about  the  size  of  a 
small  orange,  and  of  a  free  and  plas¬ 
tic  consistency,  first  model  what  is 
to  be  the  base  of  the  proposed  bowl 
or  vase  form  (Figs.  1,  2).  Making 
this  rather  heavy  and  thicker  base 

than  the  proposed  vessel  is  to  be,  Figi2 


SIMPLE  POTTERY 


215 


Fig.  3 


we  have  a  rude,  somewhat  hol¬ 
lowed  hemisphere  or  “nest”  (Fig. 

3).  Upon  this  we  build  the  sides, 
adding  pieces  of  clay  spirally, 
pressing  firmly  together  with  the 
fingers,  and  using  the  utmost  care 
to  preserve  uniformity  of  thick¬ 
ness  (Fig.  4).  As  our  hands  become  more  accustomed 
to  the  clay,  effort  will  become  less  noticeable  and  the 
object  will  seem  more  and  more  to  grow  of  itself.  The 
tendency  should  be  always  to  keep  the  work  substan¬ 
tial,  as  clumsiness  is  a  safer  fault  than  too  great  deli¬ 
cacy,  it  being  more  easy  to  remove  extra  thickness 
than  to  add  it.  Of  course  there  will  be  failures  :  some¬ 
times  a  vase  form  nearly  complete  will  fall—  a  catastro¬ 


phe  wholly  with- 
until  we  discover 
of  inspiration  we 
a  wall  some- 
too  thin,  a  hori- 
extensive,  or  a 
too  moist.  Ac- 
keep  watch 
rence  of  this  by 
one  hand  inside, 


out  explanation 
that  in  the  fever 
have  permitted 
where  to  become 
zontal  plane  too 
part  of  our  clay 
cordingly  we 
against  a  recur- 
with 


This  cqiu 
VPON  THE  BASE. 

Fig.  4  withdrawing  one 


building 


216  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


finger  at  a  time  as  the  orifice  at  the  top  becomes 
smaller.  Experience  will  show  us  things  we  have  not 
dreamed  of— that  with  the  clay  more  moist  the  ten¬ 
dency  to  sag  will  become  more  manifest ;  and  again, 
that  as  the  clay  finally  dries  shrinkage  enters  among 
the  influences  playing  upon  the  form.  Certain  shapes 


will  be  found 

impractica- 

ble  :  we  will 

discover,  in 

short, the  lim 

\  itations  of  our 

medium.  It  is  wf* 

the  true  artist 

who,  carefully  l  7 

considering 

these  and  \  i 

adaptinghim- 

self  to  them,  / 

turns  them 

into  ad  van-  Wa,. 

tages. 

During  the  _ 

The  Complete  Form. 

entire  process 

of  building, 

the  work  must 

\  Fig.  5 

never  be  per- 

milted  to  dry 

out.  It  must  be  kept  covered  with  moistened  cloths 

when  work  is  not  going  jon. 

When  the  greatest  desired  diameter  is  reached,  the 
model  may  be  inverted  upon  the  bed  and  the  too 
great  irregularities  in  its  contour  removed.  At  this 
time,  too,  the  superfluous  part  of  the  original  “nest” 
may  be  scraped  down  and  the  desired  form  of  the 
base  worked  out  (Fig.  5). 


SIMPLE  POTTERY 


217 


The  adding  of  spouts  and  handles  scarcely  needs 
notice  here.  Hollow  spouts  can  be  modeled  about  a 
straw  or  any  other  material  which  is  stiff  enough  to 
support  the  clay  while  light  enough  to  burn  out  in 
the  firing.  In  the  designing  of  spouts  and  handles 
the  idea  of  solidity  should  still  be  kept  in  mind,  and 
it  would  be  best  not  to  attempt  such  as  stand  far  from 
the  body  of  the  vessel  without  firm  support.  This 
principle  is  true  in  an  esthetic  as  well  as  a  practical 
sense  5  indeed,  the  addition  of  these  parts  gives  a  fine 
chance  for  the  exercise  of  the  artistic  judgment,  as 
they  may  be  considered  as  much  a  part  of  the  deco¬ 
ration  of  the  whole  vase  as  the  designs  which  are  to 
be  later  scratched  or  painted  upon  it. 

Of  the  various  kinds  of  decorative  treatment  for 
pottery,  the  simplest  is  line  incision  (see  specimens 
I,  II,  and  III  of  Arizona  Indian  pottery).  This 
had  best  be  done  with  one  of  the  wooden  finger- 
shaped  tools  described  above,  that  the  technic  may 
not  be  out  of  keeping  with  the  modeling  of  the 
vessel  itself.  Judgment  and  taste  may  be  brought  to 
bear  in  the  matter  of  depth  of  the  lines,  that  being 
in  some  measure  dependent  upon  the  thickness  and 
the  uses  of  the  vessel.  As  in  the  other  branches  of 
the  crafts,  restraint  rather  than  lavishness  is  here 

14 


218  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


recommended,  and  a  few  experiments  will  teach  more 
than  dozens  of  paragraphs. 

Endless  variations  of  mere  line  treatment  will  sug- 
gest  themselves — lines  used  alone,  lines  bounding 
spaces,  combinations  of  lines  for  the  treatment  of  sur¬ 
faces,  or  a  combination  of  line  incision  with  the  use 
of  color.  The  examples  by  Arizona  Indians  here 
given  cannot  be  improved  upon  artistically.  One 
sees  at  once  the  crude,  uneven  outlines,  but  feels  that 
the  stippled  and  incised  decoration  is  applied  to  the 
best  advantage.  And  in  the  more  elaborate  decora¬ 
tions  (Figs.  IV  and  V)  a  correct  sense  of  proportion 
is  shown  which,  whether  a  matter  of  instinct  or  of 
careful  thought,  is  truly  admirable. 

As  the  purpose  of  this  book  is  to  treat  the  crafts 
in  a  simple  way,  we  have  not  touched  upon  wheel- 
work  or  casting,  believing  that  the  hand-molding 
offers  a  sufficient  artistic  field  for  the  amateur  and 
the  young  craftsmen  in  the  schools. 

The  methods  of  treating  pottery  as  distinguished 
by  the  appearance  after  firing  are  : 

(1)  Those  which  leave  the  surface  comparatively 
dull  and  porous. 

(2)  Those  which  give  the  surface  a  coating  of 
fused  matter  known  as  glaze. 


SIMPLE  POTTERY 


219 


220  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

For  obtaining  either  of  these  effects  the  colors 
used  are  the  same,  being  the  ordinary  substances 
which  are  used  for  the  color  principle  in  the  manu¬ 
facture  of  all  manner  of  artists’  pigments— i.e., 
colors  in  their  raw  or  “green”  state.  These  colors 
come  in  the  form  of  powder,  and  must  be  combined 
with  a  liquid  in  order  to  be  applied  to  the  clay. 
This  may  be  a  solution  of  gum  arabic  in  water,  of 
the  consistency  of  cream,  the  addition  to  this  mix¬ 
ture  of  a  small  quantity  of  dextrine  making  it  more 
adhesive.  A  list  of  colors  quite  broad  enough  for 
the  average  reader  follows  : 

Beds :  Raw  sienna,  a  warm  yellowish  red ;  burnt 
sienna,  a  deeper  red  ;  maroon,  a  claret-brown. 

Blues :  Cobalt,  a  color  too  strong  to  be  used  alone  ; 
Indigo,  Prussian. 

Greens :  Oxide  of  copper,  a  blue-green ;  a  dark 
green  may  be  made  by  a  mixture  of  oxide  of  copper 
and  potassium. 

Yellow :  Raw  sienna. 

White :  Pipe-clay  is  a  favorite  substance  with  the 
Indians  for  a  dull,  dead  relief  white. 

Slip  is  a  mixture  of  clay  and  water  to  the  consist¬ 
ency  of  cream.  It  is  often  used  in  applying  color. 

An  inside  glaze  is  necessary  to  vessels  designed  to 


SIMPLE  POTTERY 


221 


hold  liquids.  There  are  several  substances  particu¬ 
larly  suited  to  this  purpose.  Red  lead,  which  in  the 
form  of  a  powder  can  be  dusted  upon  the  moist  clay, 
is  one  j  it  will  fuse  in  the  firing. 

Marsching’s  soft  Limoges  glaze  is  designed  for 
such  purposes. 

The  simplest  method  of  coloring  pottery  without 
the  use  of  a  glaze  is  to  apply  the  color,  mixed  with 
gum  arabic  and  water,  to  the  moist  surface  of  the 
clay.  The  vessel  is  then  put  aside  for  two  or  three 
hours  to  allow  the  color  to  set.  Before  the  clay 
hardens,  however,  the  color  must  be  well  worked 
into  it  with  some  smooth  instrument :  the  back  of 
the  bowl  of  a  spoou  may  be  used,  or  a  polished  hard¬ 
wood  tool.  The  rubbing  will  impart  a  gloss  to  the 
surface,  which  is  unchanged  by  the  firing.  After 
the  color  has  been  applied,  the  pottery  must  be  set 
aside  for  two  or  three  days  in  order  that  it  may  dry 
thoroughly  before  being  fired. 

feo  different  are  the  various  kilns  that  no  definite 
information  can  here  be  given  concerning  them.  As 
stated  above,  a  simple  overglaze  kiln  is  sufficient 
for  all  processes  discussed  in  this  chapter,  and  almost 
every  town  will  afford  at  least  one  of  these,  the  use 
of  which  may  be  secured  by  the  amateur  craftsman. 


222  THE  AET  CEAFTS  FOE  BEGIHNEES 

For  schools  which  include  pottery  in  their  curricu¬ 
lum,  overglaze  kilns  using  kerosine  oil  for  fuel  may 
be  purchased  at  a  cost  ranging  from  thirty  to  two 
hundred  dollars.  Full  instructions  for  their  manipu¬ 
lation  should  accompany  them. 

After  the  pottery  has  been  colored  and  fired,  a 
simple  design  may  be  carried  out  by  scraping  off  the 
surface  color  so  as  to  expose  the  original  grayish  or 
creamy- white  tint  of  the  clay. 

A  second  method  of  coloring  is  to  mix  the  pigment 
with  the  body  of  the  clay  from  which  the  model  is 
to  be  built.  Still  a  third  way  is  to  color  the  vessel 
all  over,  or  in  design  areas,  with  colored  slip.  A  col¬ 
ored  slip  is  a  solution  of  the  clay  and  water  mixed 
to  the  consistency  of  cream,  to  which  color  has  been 
added. 

Such  unglazed  pottery  as  we  have  been  discussing 
may  be  refined  after  firing  by  rubbing  floor-wax  on 
the  outer  surface.  This  fills  up  the  pores  and  gives 
a  more  uniform  quality  to  the  whole. 

For  the  successful  glazing  of  pottery,  at  least  two 
firings  are  necessary.  A  formula  for  glaze  is  to  be 
had  manufactured  in  a  powder,  which  is  mixed  with 
the  color,  and  fuses  with  it.  Soft  glazes,  such  as  can 
be  fired  in  an  overglaze  kiln,  may  be  purchased  of 


SIMPLE  POTTERY 


223 


any  potter.  Their  composition  is  usually  kept  secret. 
One  part  of  dry  color  mixed  with  nine  parts  of  dry 
glaze,  the  whole  to  be  dissolved  in  a  solution  of  gum 
arabic  and  water,  will  result  in  a  medium  tone  of 
that  color.  Such  a  solution  is  applied  by  means  of 
a  Ho.  8  camel’s-hair  brush  to  the  surface  of  a  piece 
which  has  been  fired  once.  The  color  should  be  laid 
on  with  the  flat  side  of  the  brush  without  drawing 
the  brush  upon  the  surface.  Be  sure  to  cover  the  form 
evenly.  Allow  the  color  to  dry,  after  which  apply 
a  second  coat  in  the  same  manner. 

Pottery  offers  so  much  opportunity  for  personal 
experiment,  that  no  set  of  rules  can  be  made  to  cover 
the  entire  field.  Every  worker  makes  discoveries, 
finds  new  ways  of  working.  A  careful  record  should 
be  kept  of  every  experiment.  Note  the  kind  of  clay 
and  its  condition,  and  the  mixture  and  quantity  of 
color,  the  degree  of  heat  in  firing,  and  the  place 
occupied  in  the  kiln.  The  piece  should  be  marked 
in  some  way,  so  that  reference  can  be  made  to  the 
record.  Do  not  trust  to  memory  for  any  of  these 
items.  It  sometimes  happens  that  an  excellent  bit 
of  color  or  technic  is  secured,  and  a  repetition  of 
the  same  is  impossible  because  all  the  conditions 
have  not  been  remembered. 


224  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


A  room  equipped  with  potter’s  materials —which 
include  a  kiln,  so  that  the  process  of  forming,  col¬ 
oring,  and  firing  is  wholly  under  the  control  of  the 
worker— constitutes  a  condition  very  nearly  ideal. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
¥ 

BASKETRY 


A  Reed  Mat,  Small  Reed  Basket, 
A  Basket  with  Triple  Twist,  A 
Coiled  Basket,  Lazy-squaw  Weave 
—  Sewed  Basket,  Samoan  Weave, 
Plant-basket,  Work-basket  of  Green 
Reed,  Fruit  Basket  of  Cattail-leaves, 
Raffia  Basket  in  Bam-tush  Weave. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


BASKETRY 

■JV^O  work  on  the  crafts  is  complete  without  a  chap- 
ter  devoted  to  the  primitive  art  of  basketry. 

The  durability,  cheapness,  and  lightness  of  the 
material,  and  the  ease  with  which  a  knowledge  of  the 
weaves  may  be  acquired,  all  commend  it  to  the  be¬ 
ginner. 

But  before  commencing  a  detailed  description  of 
the  weaves  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  devote  a 
few  paragraphs  to  this  art  as  practised  among  the 
piimitive  Americans,  from  whom  we  derive  much 
of  our  knowledge. 

That  basket-making  is  the  oldest  as  well  as  one  of 
the  commonest  and  most  useful  of  the  domestic  arts 
is  now  generally  conceded. 

The  first  use  made  of  the  basket  was  probably  as  a 
227 


228  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


cover  for  water-gourds,  to  protect  them  from  being 
so  easily  broken  when  the  early  tribes  moved  from 
place  to  place. 

In  time  the  basket  became  not  only  the  commonest 
domestic  utensil,  but  its  use  was  extended  to  all 
social  and  religious  functions. 

The  ever-faithful  and  industrious  Indian  woman 
often  worked  for  weeks,  and  sometimes  for  months, 
on  a  single  basket ;  her  expert  fingers  not  only  wove 
a  mechanically  perfect  basket,  but  she  has  shown  a 
knowledge  and  appreciation  of  the  beautiful  in  form, 
color,  and  design  that  fill  one  with  astonishment  and 
admiration. 

At  the  present  time  many  persons  are  satisfied  if 
useful  articles  are  cheap,  and  give  no  thought  to  their 
beauty  ;  not  so  the  aboriginal  woman  :  she  wove  her 
joys  and  sorrows,  her  hopes  and  fears,  into  her 
baskets. 

They  were  the  art  expression  of  the  people,  their 
poetry  and  religion. 

Even  among  the  Nubians  who  live  in  rude  huts  on 
the  banks  of  the  upper  Nile,  we  find  baskets  of  most 
artistic  form,  beautiful  design,  and  delicate  coloring. 

At  present  there  is  a  strong  effort  being  made  by 
those  interested  in  the  restoration  and  preservation 


BASKETRY 


229 


of  Indian  art  to  have  the  people  return  to  the  use 
of  their  vegetable  dyes. 

Every  one  who  uses  any  basketry  or  weaving  mate¬ 
rials  can  help  in  this  if  they  will,  as  far  as  possible, 
refuse  to  use  any  that  are  aniline-dyed.  Vegetable- 
dyed  materials  give  softer  and  more  durable  colors, 
and,  if  properly  done,  will  not  discolor  the  fingers 
while  they  are  being  woven. 

Our  study  of  the  industrial  arts  of  the  Indians 
has  led  to  a  better  understanding  of  the  character  of 
the  people,  as  well  as  of  their  customs  and  occupa¬ 
tions.  They  are  highly  imaginative,  and  a  world  of 
legendary  lore  is  expressed  through  their  baskets. 

One  legend  woven  into  the  baskets  used  for  carry¬ 
ing  infants  on  the  mothers’  back  has  it  that  the  first 
boy  born  was  wrapped  in  a  black  cloud  ;  a  rainbow, 
studded  with  stars,  was  represented  by  the  hood  of 
his  basket  j  the  back  part  was  a  parhelion  j  zigzag 
lightning  was  on  each  side  of  the  top  and  the  fringe, 
and  straps  signified  sun-beams. 

So  into  everything  they  made  this  imaginative 
people  wove  some  fanciful  story. 

The  materials  used  in  modern  basketry  are  prin¬ 
cipally  reed  or  rattan,  raffia,  corn-husks,  splints,  and 
natural  grasses. 


230  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Rattan  grows  in  tropical  forests,  where  it  twines 
about  the  trees  in  great  lengths.  It  is  numbered  by 
dealers  according  to  its  thickness,  and  Nos.  2,  3,  and 
4  are  the  best  sizes  for  small  baskets.  For  scrap- 
baskets,  3,  5,  and  6  are  best  sizes.  It  should  be  thor¬ 
oughly  soaked  before  using. 

Raffia  is  the  outer  cuticle  of  a  palm,  and  comes  to 
us  mostly  from  Madagascar. 

While  only  a  few  weaves  are  described  in  this 
chapter,  they  are  representative,  and  from  them  a 
great  number  of  forms  may  be  constructed. 

A  REED  MAT 

Before  beginning  a  reed  basket  the  student  should 
make  one  or  two  centers  in  the  form  of  a  mat.  The 
start  is  so  important  that  it  is  necessary  to  master 
this  before  the  subject  of  form  has  to  be  considered. 
A  very  attractive  whisk-broom  holder  can  be  made 
by  tying  two  of  these  mats  together  with  ribbon. 

MATERIALS 

4  14"  spokes  of  No.  3  reed 

1  8"  spoke  of  No.  3  reed 

2  weavers’  No.  2  reed 


BASKETRY 


231 


Soak  the  reed  about  an  hour  in  cold  water.  Find 
the  centers  of  the  14/;  spokes  and  arrange  them  in 
pairs  and  cross  them,  placing  the  horizontal  ones 
uppermost ;  place  the  8"  spoke  between  the  two 
vertical  ones.  These  are  held  in  place  with  the  left 


hand  and  the  weaving  is  done  with  the  right  hand. 


An  end  of 
placed  along 
izontal  spoke 
vertical  ones, 
toward  the 
1).  Bring 
around  back 
spokes,  and 
finger  of  the 
press  it  close 
ter  as  it  is 
the  horizon- 


a  weaver  is 
the  upper  hor- 
in  front  of  the 
with  the  end 
right  (F,  Fig. 
*  the  weaver 
of  the  vertical 
with  the  fore¬ 
right  hand 
to  the  cen- 
brought  over 
tal  spokes  at 
the  end  of  the 


the  right  of  the  center  (bind  in 
weaver  also)  •  next  pass  under  the  lower  vertical 
spokes  and  over  the  horizontal  ones  at  the  left. 


Repeat  this  two  or  three  times,  and  then,  beginning 
with  the  upper  vertical  spokes,  separate  the  spokes 
and  press  the  weaver  down,  between  each  spoke,  close 
to  the  previous  row  of  weaving  (Fig.  2).  It  is  very 


232  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


important  to  press  the  weaver  down  every  time  it 
crosses  a  spoke,  and  hold  in  position  with  the  fore¬ 


finger  of  the  left  hand  while  it  is  pressed  behind  the 
next  spoke  with  the  forefinger  of  the  right  hand. 
(This  applies  to  all  reed- work.) 

As  soon  as  possible  separate  the  spokes  evenly  and 
continue  weaving  until  the  mat  is  four  inches  in 
diameter. 

The  side  of  the  mat  or  basket  next  to  the  worker 
is  the  outside,  and  all  ends  of  weavers  must  be  left 
on  the  inside. 

To  start  a  new  weaver,  place  the  end  on  top  of 


BASKETRY 


233 


the  end  of  weaver  just,  used,  and  behind  the  spoke 
ack  of  which  it  would  naturally  pass  if  the  old 
weaver  had  been  long  enough  to  continue.  The  next 
row  of  weaving  will  hold  these  ends  in  place,  and  when 
the  work  is  finished  they  should  be  cut  off  quite  short. 

When  the  mat  is  a  little  less  than  four  inches  it 
should  be  bound  off  by  passing  the  weaver  under 
the  last  row  of  weaving,  behind  the  next  spoke,  in 
front  of  the  next  and  under  the  last  row  of  weaving 
again.  Continue  this  once  around  the  mat,  and, 
after  cutting  the  spokes  to  an  even  length,  soak  the 
mat,  and  finish  with  an  open  border  as  follows  : 

Pass  spoke  No.  1  over  spoke  No.  2  at  the  right 
and  push  down  beside  spoke  No.  3;  do  the  same 
with  each  spoke  in  succession,  being  careful  that 
at  least  one  inch  is  pressed  below  the  edge  of  the 
mat. 

SMALL  REED  BASKET 

Most  reed  baskets  have  at  least  sixteen  spokes,  and 
for  small  baskets  and  where  small  reeds  are  used 
these  spokes  are  often  woven  in  pairs  (Fig.  3).  a 

\er y  Pleasir>g  effect  is  obtained  by  combining  two 
shades  of  colored  reed. 

For  the  little  basket  given  below  (Fig.  2,  page 


234  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


237)  natural-colored  reed  was  used  for  the  spokes 
and  a  golden-brown  reed  for  weaving.  These  are 
the  materials  required  for  a  small  basket  with  six¬ 
teen  spoke  center : 

16  16"  spokes,  No.  2  reed 
5  weavers’  No.  2  brown  reed 

Separate  the  sixteen  spokes  into  groups  of  four 
each.  Mark  the  centers,  and  lay  the  first  group  on 


Fig.  3 


BASKETRY  235 

the  table  in  a  vertical  position.  Across  the  center 

P  ace  therth“P  ^  “*  Se°0ml  S™lp  horizontally. 
Place  the  third  group  diagonally  across  these,  having 

the  upper  ends  at  the  right  of  the  vertical  spokes 

The  fourth  group  is  laid  diagonally  with  the  upper 

ends  at  the  left  of  the  vertical  spokes. 

A  well-soaked  weaver  is  started  by  laying  the  end 

over  the  group  to  the  left  of  the  vertical  group  f 

above  the  center;  then  bring  it  under  the  vertical 

group,  over  the  next,  then  under,  and  so  on  „nH 

I  ~d  aVertiCafgr0UPaga“ ^his  weave 

separatedlntoT  ^  T  ‘imeS;  theu  tbe  sP°te  are 
separated  into  twos  and  the  weaver  is  brought  over 

the  pair  at  the  left  of  the  upper  vertical  group,  and 

'when  ft  Is  aD<1  Un<Ier’  U“U1  R  Comes  ar°und  again, 
hen  ft  is  necessary  to  pass  under  two  groups  of 

spokes  and  then  continue  weaving  over  and  under 
alternate  spokes  (Fig.  3,  groups  1  and  2). 

pates  undbegTing  °f  ea°h  DeW  TOW  the  weaver 

the  last  of  tL  I™  gr°I’PS  °f  Sp°keS  *  aI^  nuder 
the  last  of  the  two  under  which  it  went  before  and 

he  group  at  the  right  of  it.  This  is  the  method  of 

WeattThI  he“tfthey  U5<!  an  CTe“  m’mber  °f  spok<'s- 

eter-Tn  w!t  ro1  ““  11  *  &Ur  '•iam- 

,  then  wet  and  turn  the  spokes  gradually  up  and 


236  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

weave  one  inch;  then  turn  the  spokes  in  sharply 
and  draw  them  in  with  three  rows  of  weaving.  Now 
weave  four  rows,  going  over  and  under  the  same 
spokes,  making  an  ornamental  band ;  then  weave 
three  rows  of  over-  and  under-weaving,  followed  by 
four  rows  without  changing  the  weave.  Continue  to 
draw  the  side  in  with  four  rows  of  over-  and  under¬ 
weaving,  and  then  bind  off.  Finish  with  the  follow¬ 
ing  border :  . 

Always  wet  the  spokes  till  pliable  before  starting 
the  border then  each  group  is  brought  under  the 
first  group  at  the  right  and  over  the  next  and  inside 
the  basket ;  and  cut  long  enough  to  allow  it  to  rest 
on  the  group  ahead. 

Leave  the  first  two  groups  a  little  loose,  so  the  last 
ones  can  be  woven  into  them  easily. 

BASKET  WITH  TRIPLE  TWIST 
(Fig.  6,  page  237) 

materials  - 

18  24"  spokes,  No.  1  gray-green  reed 
8  weavers’  No.  1  natural-colored  reed 
4  weavers’  No.  1  gray-green  reed 

Weave  the  center  as  in  previous  basket  until  it 
measures  two  inches  in  diameter  ;  then  separate  the 


1.  Coiled  Basket  of  Natural  Grasses 
2  and  5.  Reed  Baskets 
3.  Samoan  Weave  (openwork) 


4.  Sewed  Basket 

6.  Reed  Basket  (triple  weave) 

7.  Flat  Reed  and  Splint  Basket 


BASKETRY 


239 


pairs  of  spokes  and  weave  over  and  under  each  spoke 
separately  until  the  bottom  measures  three  and  one 
half  inches.  Now  turn  up  sharply  and  weave  six 
rows  of  under-  and  over- weaving.  By  this  time  the 
spokes  should  stand  quite  straight,  and  the  triple- 
weave  is  commenced  by  inserting  two  new  weavers 
in  addition  to  the  one  already  started. 

Insert  a  green  weaver  between  the  two  spokes  to 
the  right  of  the  one  already  in  use ;  then  place  an¬ 
other  natural-colored  one  between  the  two  spokes  to 
the  right  of  the  green  one ;  then  pass  the  first 
weaver  in  front  of  the  first  two  upright  spokes  to 
the  right,  behind  the  third  spoke  and  out.  Now 
pass  the  colored  weaver  in  front  of  the  next  two 
spokes  to  the  right,  behind  the  third  and  out.  Do 
the  same  with  the  third  weaver,  and  then  begin  with 
the  first  one  again  and  continue  until  the  basket  is 
five  inches  high.  Soak  the  mat  and  finish  as  follows  : 

(1)  Pass  each  spoke  in  succession  behind  the  one 
at  its  left  and  out ;  press  down  close  to  the  basket ; 
put  the  last  spoke  left  standing  under  the  first  one 
turned  down. 

(2)  Pass  each  spoke  in  succession  in  front  of  the 
one  at  its  left  and  turn  in ;  put  the  last  one  under 
the  first  one  turned  in. 


240  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


(3)  Pass  each  spoke  in  succession  behind  the 
one  at  the  left  and  out ;  then  press  down  sharply 
between  the  outside  weave  of  the  border  and 
the  basket;  cut  off  with  wire-cutters  close  to 
the  border. 


TO  MAKE  A  COILED  BASKET 
(Fig.  9) 


Sweet-grass,  corn-husks,  or  any  pliable  grasses 
can  be  used  for  these  baskets,  and  with  a  contrast¬ 
ing  color  for  sewing,  very  charming  effects  can  be 
produced. 

Cut  off  the  hard  ends  of  the  grasses,  and  take  only 
a  small  bunch  for  the  center  or  start.  Split  the 
raffia  very  fine,  and  use  a  sharp  needle  for  the  tool. 
Hold  the  grasses  and  the  end  of  raffia  in  the 
left  hand,  about  two  inches  from  the  end  of 
the  coil,  and  wind  the  raffia  around  the  coil 
to  the  end  of  the  grasses  (Fig.  5). 
Bend  the  end  of  the  coil  into  a  small 
round  center  and  sew  over  and  over, 
binding  the  first  two  coils  very  firmly  together 
(Fig.  6).  The  next  time  around  leave  a  very 
small  space  between  each  stitch,  and  take  the 
Fig.  5  stitch  only  through  the  upper  protion  of  the 


BASKETRY 


241 


coil  below.  It  is  necessary  that  the  spaces  between 
the  stitches  be  very  regular  in  the  first  few  rows,  as 
the  regularity  of  the  spiral  is  determined  by  them. 

In  sewing  through  the  coil,  place  the  needle  diag¬ 
onally  from  the  right  of  the  stitch  through  the  coil 
to  the  left  of  the  stitch  (Fig.  10). 

When  the  bottom  measures  four  inches  across, 

the  sides  by 
up  slightly  on 
and  continue  to 


begin  shaping 
raising  the  coil 
the  coil  below, 
bind  the  coils 
fore.  When  the 
sures  about  six 
begin  shaping 
holding  the  coil 
ward  the  cen- 

To  finish,  Fis- 6 

crease  the  size  of  the  coil,  but  do 
number  of  stitches  ;  fasten  the  raffia,  after  taking  the 
last  stitch,  by  running  it  through  the  coil,  and  cut, 
off  close.  If  necessary  to  bind  the  ends  more  closely, 
sew  over  and  over  with  a  fine  thread  of  very  fine 
raffia  the  color  of  the  grasses. 

One  should  take  great  care  to  make  a  very  neat 
and  strong  finish. 


together  as  be- 
basket  mea- 
inches  across, 
the  sides  by 
slightly  in  to- 
ter. 

gradually  de- 
not  increase  the 


242  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

LAZY-SQUAW  WEAVE -SEWED  BASKET 

Use  a  No.  4  reed  to  sew  over.  Trim  the  reed  with 
a  sharp  knife  one  and  a  half  inches  from  the  end, 
gradually  sloping  to  a  flat  point  (Fig.  4). 

Soak  the  reed  in  water  about  an  hour.  Use  a  No. 
18  dull-pointed  needle  and  thread  with  the  end  of 
the  raffia  which  has  been  cut  from  the  palm  (the 
thick  end). 

Hold  the  reed  in  the  left  hand,  draw  it  through 
the  fingers  of  the  right,  shaping  the  end  into  a  round 
coil.  Hold  the  reed  and  the  small  end  of  the  raffia 
firmly  in  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand,  about  one  and 
a  half  inches  from  the  point.  Wind  the  raffia  around 
the  reed  to  the  point  (Fig.  5).  With  the  right  hand 
force  the  end  of  the  reed  into  the  smallest  possible 
coil  and  sew  firmly  through  the  center,  binding  en¬ 
tirely  around  the  first  coil. 

Hold  the  commenced  coil  in  the  left  hand  and 
wrap  the  raffia  from  you  and  around  the  reed  once  ; 
then  over  the  reed  again  and  down  through  the 
center  of  the  coil  (Fig.  6).  This  gives  a  long  stitch, 
while  wrapping  the  reed  gives  a  short  one.  Con¬ 
tinue  weaving  in  this  way,  first  a  long  stitch  and  then 
a  short  one,  until  the  bottom  is  about  five  inches  across. 


BASKETRY 


243 


Kow  we  must  plan  for  the  design.  In  the  basket 
shown  in  the  photograph  (Fig.4)  the  soft  green  used  in 
the  bottom  is  continued  up  the  sides  to  form  points. 

An  easy  way  to  plan  for  the  divisions  of  a  design 
is  to  place  the  basket  on  a  piece  of  paper  and  mark 
around  it  with  a  pencil,  cut  out,  and  fold  into  desired 
divisions.  Place  the  basket  on  the  paper  again  and 
mark  the  divisions  with  a  pencil  or  thread. 

To  apply  the  raffia  or  introduce  another  color,  hold 
the  reed  in  the  left  hand,  with  the  forefinger  pressed 
firmly  on  the  ends  of  both  the  old  and  the  new  thread, 
and  wind  the  new  thread  tightly  over  the  old  thread  ; 
then  proceed  to  take  the  stitch  as  before. 

When  the  old  and  new  threads  are  sufficiently  cov¬ 
ered  to  hold  firmly,  cut  off  both  ends  and  continue 
weaving. 

In  the  basket  shown  (the  one  with  the  star  pat¬ 
tern)  the  points  are  made  by  introducing  one  stitch 
of  natural  color  at  each  division  for  the  last  row  of 
the  bottom.  Now  begin  forming  the  sides  by  placing 
the  reed  slightly  over  the  last  row.  Each  time  the 
white  stitch  is  reached,  this  time  around,  cover 
with  three  white  stitches,  and  each  time  around  in¬ 
crease  the  number  of  stitches,  keeping  the  divisions 
equal  on  both  sides  of  the  point  and  the  line  of  de- 


244  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Fig.  7 


sign  straight.  When  the  green  points 
have  been  reached,  continue  with  the 
natural  color  for  about  two  inches,  when 
a  band  an  inch  wide  of  the  Samoan 
stitch  is  introduced  (see  descrip¬ 
tion  on  next  page). 

Continue  now  with  the  lazy-squaw 
stitch  for  an  inch  and  a  half.  Now 
the  sides  are  turned  in  by  holding  the 


reed  slightly  inside  the  preceding  one,  and  weaving 


in  this  way  for  about  an  inch. 

A  roll  of  sweet-grass  is  bound  around  the  top,  and 
at  the  angle  of  the  sides,  with  an  overstitch  of  black 
split  raffia.  When  it  is  necessary  to  splice  on  a 
new  reed,  trim  the  ends  to  be 
spliced  to  flat  points,  placing 
together  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  uniform  size  of  the 
reed  is  kept.  Prepare  the 
reeds  for  joining  before  it  is 
necessary  to  splice,  and  take 
great  care  that  they  fit.  Hold 
the  two  reeds  together  care¬ 
fully  as  you  work  over  the 
splicing. 


Fig.  8 


BASKETRY 


245 


SAMOAN  WEAVE 

The  start  is  made  in  the  same 
way  as  for  the  lazy-squaw 
basket. 

After  the  first  coil  is  fin¬ 
ished,  the  reed  is  held  about 
its  own  width  from  the  coil. 
The  raffia  is  brought  from 
the  center,  over  both  reeds, 
around  the  upper  one  and  between  the  two 
at  the  left  of  the  wrapping;  then  passed 
back,  between  the  two  reeds,  at  the  right  of  the 
wrapping  (Fig.  7). 

Look  at  the  wrong  side  to  see  that  the  needle 
has  passed  to  the  right  of  the  long 
stitch.  Bring  the  needle  through 
again,  between  the  two  reeds,  at 
the  left  of  the  wrapping  (Fig.  8). 

This  completes  the  knot.  Wind 
the  reed  twice  and  make  another 
knot.  Continue  in  the  same  way 
until  the  bottom  is  as  large  as 
desired,  then  turn  up  as  previously 
described.  In  the  basket  shown 

Fig.  10 


246  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


(in  photograph,  Fig.  3)  the  bottom  is  woven  with 
natural-colored  raffia,  and  the  sides  with  golden- 
brown.  The  knots  in  the  bottom  are  placed  each 
time  at  the  left  of  the  one  on  the  row  below,  so  that 
a  spiral  effect  is  obtained,  and  on  the  sides  the  knots 
are  arranged  in  diamond  shapes.  Two  reeds  are 
held  side  by  side  to  give  the  heavy  band  at  the  top, 
and  are  bound  to  the  two  below  by  a  long  and  short 
stitch. 

PLANT-BASKET 

MATERIALS 

16  42r/  spokes  of  No.  4  reed 

About  40  weavers  of  No.  4  reed 

About  4  weavers  of  No.  4  Indian  red  reed 

2  weavers  of  No.  4  black  reed 

It  seems  natural  and  fitting  to  use  basket  cover¬ 
ings  for  flower-pots,  since  basketry  and  pottery  have 
always  been  closely  associated.  The  basket  covering 
answers  two  purposes  :  first,  it  protects  the  pot,  and 
then  it  hides  the  angular  form  and  brilliant  color  of 
the  red  ware,  which  so  rarely  harmonizes  with 
flowering  plants. 

Let  us  choose  a  flaring  jar  form,  such  as  the  In¬ 
dians  of  New  Mexico  often  make  in  clay.  One  that 


BASKETRY 


247 


will  hold  a  flower-pot  6J" 
in  diameter  at  the  top  will 
require  sixteen  42"  spokes 
of  No.  4  reed. 

The  sixteen  -  spoke  center 
shown  in  Fig.  3,  page  234,  is  first 
made,  and  the  bottom  is  woven 
Flg‘ 11  to  a  diameter  of  6".  The  spokes 
are  then  thoroughly  wet  and  turned  up  with  a 
decided  outward  flare.  (See  Fig.  11.) 

The  sides  are  woven,  still  flaring,  for  4|",  and 
then  one  row  is  made  with  a  black  weaver.  This 
is  followed  by  a  band  of  Indian  red  in  bam-tush 
weave  (see  Fig.  18)  f"  wide  ;  and  above  it  two  rows 
of  the  same  weave,  using  a  weaver  of  black  and  one 
of  Indian  red.  The  spokes  are  now  wet  until  quite 
pliable,  and  bent  in  toward  the  center  by  rolling 
them  over  the  finger. 


Three  rows  are  woven  without  drawing  the 
weaver  very  tight,  and  then  the  spokes  are  brought 
in  decidedly  with  a  tightly  drawn  weaver  for  3f", 
pressing  them  with  the  hand  at  the  same  time. 
Here  the  diameter  of  the  top  should  be  about  1\". 

After  wetting  the  spokes  thoroughly  the  following 
border  is  woven  : 


248  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


First  row.  Each  pair  of  spokes  is  brought  under 
the  pair  on  the  right  and  outside  of  the  basket. 

Second  row.  Each  pair  of  ends  is  brought  across 
two  spokes,  under  the  first  end  on  the  right  and 
pressed  inside  of  the  basket,  where,  when  the  border 
is  finished,  they  are  cut  so  that  each  will  lie  against 
the  spoke  ahead. 

WORK-BASKET  OF  GREEN  REED 

MATERIALS 

16  287/  pieces  of  No.  2  dark -green  reed 
32  !lv  pieces  of  No.  2  dark-green  reed 
About  14  weavers  of  No.  2  light-green  reed 
16  large  opaque  white  beads 
16  large  transparent  green  beads 
An  awl 

Large  kindergarten  beads  make  an  effective  deco¬ 
ration  on  a  basket  of  No.  2  reed. 

A  work-basket  of  two  shades  of  green,  with  green 
and  white  beads,  is  woven  as  follows  : 

Sixteen  28"  pieces  of  No.  2  reed  are  arranged  in 
the  center,  shown  in  Fig.  3,  and  a  bottom  6J"  in 
diameter  is  woven.  The  spokes  will  then  be  so  far 
apart  that  in  order  to  continue  the  basket  in  firm, 


BASKETRY 


249 


close  weaving  additional  spokes  must  be  inserted. 
Thirty-two  11"  pieces  of  dark-green  reed  are  cut  and 
two  of  these  are  pressed  in  between  each  pair  of 
spokes,  which  should  first  be  separated  by  running  a 
sharp-pointed  awl  down  between  the  weaving.  This 
will  make  four  spokes  in  every  group,  which  are  wet 
until  soft  and  separated  into  twos  by  the  next  row  of 
weaving.  The  spokes  are  then  turned  up,  away  from 
the  worker,  with  a  decided  outward  flare,  and 
the  sides  are  woven  3"  high.  After  wetting  the 
spokes  until  pliable,  they  are  rounded  in  toward  the 
center  by  bending  them  over  the  middle  finger  of 
the  right  hand.  Seven  rows  of  weaving  are  made, 
and  then,  with  a  very  pliable  weaver,  the  spokes  are 
separated  into  ones.  Two  rows  are  woven  on  the 
single  spokes,  separating  them  evenly  and  taking 
care  to  press  the  weaver  firmly  down  on  the  last  row 
of  weaving  each  time  it  crosses  a  spoke.  At  the  end 
of  the  second  row  the  weaver  is  cut,  so  that  it  will 
lie  behind  the  last  spoke  in  the  row.  An  opaque 
white  bead  is  now  slipped  on  to  this  spoke  and 
pressed  down  until  it  lies  on  top  of  the  weaving.  On 
the  next  spoke  but  one  a  transparent  green  bead  is 
strung  in  the  same  way  (see  Fig.  12),  and  on  the 
second  spoke  from  it  another  opaque  white  bead. 


250  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


Thus  continue  around  the 
basket  until  there  are  thirty- 
two  beads,— sixteen  green  and 
the  same  number  of  white, — 
alternating  on  every  other 
spoke  of  the  circumference  of  the  basket.  A  pliable 
weaver  is  then  started  back  of  the  spoke  behind 
which  the  last  weaver  was  cut,  and  woven  on  the 
single  spokes  for  two  rows,  pressing  the  weaving 
down  as  far  as  the  beads  will  allow.  In  the  next 
row  the  spokes  are  again  brought  together  in  pairs, 
and  eight  rows,  counting  this  one,  are  woven,  bring¬ 
ing  the  spokes  in  more  and  more.  The  edge  is  bound 
off  as  already  described,  and  the  following  border 
completes  the  basket : 

Wet  the  spokes  until  pliable  and  bring  each  pair 
in  turn  over  the  next  two  pairs  on  the  right,  under 
the  third  pair,  and  over  the  fourth.  The  first  three 
loops  of  the  bor¬ 
der  should  be  left 
loose  and  open, 
so  that  the  last 
spokes  may  be 
easily  woven  in. 

(See  Fig.  13.) 


Fig.  12 


Fig.  13 


BASKETRY 


251 


Let  us  not  depend  too  much 
upon  reed  aud  raffia,  useful 
as  they  are,  but  when  it 
is  possible  go  to  nature’s 
storehouse  for  our  ma¬ 
terials,  as  the  Indians 
do.  From  the  common 
cattail-leaves  which  grow  so  plentifully  in  neighbor¬ 
ing  marshes  charming  things  can  be  made.  One  of 
these  is  a  scoop-shaped  basket  for  strawberries  or 
grapes  (see  Fig.  14),  holding  just  enough  for  one 
person.  On  an  invalid’s  tray,  or  at  the  out-of-door 
breakfast  on  a  summer  morning,  this  little  basket, 
with  its  lining  of  green  leaves,  brings  a  suggestion 
of  murmuring  streams. 

FRUIT-BASKET  OF  CATTAIL-LEAVES 

MATERIALS 

A  bunch  of  dried  cattail-leaves 
Two  pieces  of  No.  5  reed  5"  long 
A  bunch  of  gray-green  raffia 
A  No.  18  tapestry-needle, 

'  father  the  cattail-leaves  for  your  basket  in  Au¬ 
gust,  when  the  tips  are  beginning  to  dry ;  if  they 
16  7  J 


252  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

are  cut  later  they  are  apt  to  be  too  brittle,  and  if 
earlier  the  color  does  not  hold.  Dry  them  in  a 
room  where  little  or  no  sunlight  comes, -—an  attic  is  a 
good  place,— spreading  them  on  a  floor  or  shelf,  and 
turning  them  occasionally  that  they  may  dry  evenly. 
When  perfectly  dry,  or  cured,  lay  them  in  a  damp 
cloth  until  pliable  ;  or,  if  this  process  takes  too  long, 
wet  them  in  lukewarm  water  until  soft.  Take  three 
full-length  leaves  and,  tying  the  tips  together  with 
raffia,  braid  them  in  a  three-stranded  plait,  keeping 
the  strands  quite  flat  and  the  edges  straight  and  true. 
When  it  becomes  necessary  to  add  a  new  piece,  lay 
it  with  its  short  end  turning  up  over  the  old  end,  and 
proceed  with  the  plaiting.  (See  Fig.  15.)  When  about 
four  yards  have  been  plaited,  cut  the  ends  of  the 

0 lose  to  where  they  were  bound  at  the 
ng,  and,  taking  a  needle  threaded 
fine  strand  of  gray-green  raffia,  coil 
At  on  itself  into  the  smallest  possible 
and  stitch  it  firmly.  Bring  the  long 
round,  with  its  inner  edge  just  under 
irst  coil,  and  sew  it  through  and 
rough  with  stitches  that  run  the  same 
way  as  the  loops  of  the  braid.  Con¬ 
tinue  this  coiling  until  the  mat  shape 


Fig.  15 


BASKETRY 


253 


is  7"  in  diameter.  At  the  end  of  the  last  row  the 
braid  is  brought  gradually  under  the  previous  row, 
where  it  is  cut,  and  after  binding  the  end  with  raffia' 
to  keep  it  from  ripping,  it  is  stitched  firmly  in  place 
against  the  under  side  of  the  mat.  A  handle  is  then 
made  as  follows : 


254  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

i 

until  pliable,  and  bent  over  to  meet  the  first  end, 
stitching  it  firmly  in  place.  The  sides  of  the  mat 
are  then  pinched  together  and  sewed  through  and 
through  between  the  ends  of  the  handle  and  in  front 
of  it  (see  Fig.  14),  so  that  it  forms  a  scoop  shape. 
This  completes  the  basket. 

RAFFIA  BASKET  IN  BAM-TUSH  WEAVE 

MATERIALS 

16  16"  pieces  of  No.  2  reed 
A  bunch  of  natural-colored  raffia 
A  bunch  of  colored  raffia 
A  sharp-pointed  awl 
A  No.  18  tapestry-needle. 

One  of  the  simplest  and  most  satisfactory  of  the 
Indian  weaves  is  called  by  them  bam  tush.  It  may 
be  woven  entirely  of  reed,  or  charming  baskets  are 
made  with  it,  using  raffia  and  other  soft  vegetable 
fibers  on  reed  spokes.  The  Indians  of  Alaska  use  sea- 
grass  or  bark  in  weaving  this  stitch,  while  those  li\  ing 
farther  south  employ  glistening  white  squaw-grass 
and  the  stems  of  maidenhair  fern.  One  of  the  great 
attractions  of  the  weave  is  that  it  is  done  almost  en¬ 
tirely  with  the  hands,  no  needle  being  used  except 


BASKETRY 


255 


in  binding  the  edge  of  the  basket.  The  only  tool 
necessary  is  a  sharp-pointed  steel  awl,  such  as  one 
can  buy  at  a  hardware-store. 

It  is  advisable  to  wash  the  natural-colored  raffia 
with  warm  water  and  some  pure  white  soap,  rinsing 
well  and  letting  it  get  almost  dry  before  using. 

The  center  is  a  simple  one.  Sixteen  sixteen-inch 
pieces  of  No.  2  reed  are  cut  and  the  center  marked 
with  a  pencil.  Eight  pieces  are  held  together  about 
below  the  pencil-marks. 

An  end  of  a  strand  of  raffia  is  doubled  around  the 
pair  of  spokes  next  to  those  on  the  left  of  the  group 
(see  Fig.  17)  ;  the  short  end  is  turned  up  and  the  long 


one  is  brought  over  the  pair  of  spokes  on  the  right,  un¬ 
der  and  around  the  next  pair  and  back,  under  and  over 
alternate  spokes  to  the  left  side,  where  it  is  brought 
around  the  outside  group  and  back  again. 
The  groups  should  be  drawn  close  together 
and  each  stitch  pressed  down  on  the 
weaving  below  so  that  no  reed  shall 
show.  When  the  center  is  as  deep 
as  it  is  wide,  eight  more  spokes  are 
bound  together,  in  the  same  way, 
with  another  strand  of  raffia.  These 
Fig.  n  are  laid  horizontally  back  of  the  first 


256  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


set,  which  is  held  vertically.  Draw 
the  long  end  of  raffia  from  each 
group  between  the  two  halves 
of  the  center,  bringing  one  out 
on  the  left  of  a  pair  of  spokes 
and  the  other  on  the  right  of  the 
same  pair.  Taking  the  strand  on  the 
left  of  the  two  spokes,  bring  it  over  Fi®- 18 
this  pair,  under  the  next,  and  hold  it  down  in 
front  of  the  work  with  the  left  hand,  while  the  right 
brings  the  other  strand  over  a  pair,  under  one,  and 
down  in  front  in  the  same  way.  (See  Fig.  18.)  This  is 
continued  around  the  center,  using  always  the  strand 
on  the  left  and  bringing  it  over  a  group,  under  the 
next,  and  down  in  front.  In  the  next  row  the  spokes 
are  separated  into  ones  and  those  at  the  corners 
drawn  close  together  with  the  weaving.  The  spokes 
should  almost  touch  ;  and  when,  after  a  few  rows,  they 
begin  to  be  so  far  apart  that  the  stitches  are  not  as 
small  as  at  first,  new  spokes  are  inserted.  Prepare 
eighteen  or  twenty  of  these  spokes  at  a  time,  cutting 
them  about  an  inch  longer  than  the  distance  from 
the  edge  of  the  weaving  to  the  ends  of  the  ori¬ 
ginal  spokes.  Whittle  each  to  a  long,  sharp  point. 
Lay  the  woven  center  on  a  table,  and  choosing  a 


BASKETRY 


257 


place  where  an  extra  spoke  is  needed,  run  the  point 
of  the  awl  down  between  the  weaving,  beside  a 
spoke,  draw  it  out  and  push  in  the  pointed  end  of  a 
new  spoke.  This  need  not  be  done  with  absolute 
regularity,  but  wherever  the  stitches  seem  too  large 
and  the  spokes  too  far  apart.  A  little  patience  in 
inserting  enough  spokes  to  make  the  work  firm  and 
even  will  be  amply  repaid  in  the  solid,  substantial 
weaving  and  even  texture  of  the  finished  basket. 
When  it  comes  time  to  turn  up  the  sides,  the  spokes 
are  wet  until  pliable  and  bent  over  the  finger,  as  in 
the  all-reed  baskets.  Many  designs  may  be  wrought 
by  using  one  colored  weaver  and  one  of  the  natural 
color  and  combining  triple  twist  with  the  bam-tush 
weave.  Straight  lines  of  color  are  obtained  by 
using  two  weavers  of  different  colors  in  bam  tush  on 
an  even  number  of  spokes.  With  an  uneven  number 
the  lines  will  be  diagonal. 

To  finish  the  top  of  the  basket,  cut  every  other 
spoke  close  to  the  weaving  and  whittle  the  alternate 
ones  to  a  long  point  about  above  the  weaving. 
Kow  wet  these  pointed  spokes  until  pliable  and 
bring  each  in  turn  back  of  the  next  spoke  on  the 
right  and  outside  of  the  basket,  pressing  it  close 
down  on  the  weaving.  Cut  the  ends  so  that  each 


258  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


will  lie  against  the  spoke  ahead.  Lay  a  few  strands 
of  raffia  along  over  this  border  and  with  a  No.  18 
tapestry-needle,  threaded  with  raffia,  bind  the  edge 
over  and  over  with  stitches  that  pass  under  the  last 
row  of  weaving  in  the  basket. 


CHAPTER  IX 
¥ 


BEAD-WORK 


Simple  Chain  Patterns. 

Simple  Loom  Patterns. 

Indian  Designs  for  Loom  Work. 


CHAPTER  IX 


BEAD-WORK 

AMOXG  the  primitive  arts  lately  revived,  bead- 
-  weaving  holds  a  place  of  secondary  importance 
indeed ;  yet  it  possesses  distinctive  artistic  value, 
especially  in  the  making  of  small  articles.  The 
juxtaposition  of  small  spots  of  pure  color,  through 
which  the  light  plays,  arranged  in  simple  patterns 
gives  an  effect  unlike  that  of  any  other  material,  and 
is  especially  appropriate  for  necklaces,  watch -charms, 
small  pouches,  belts — things  useful  in  themselves  or 
which  serve  to  relieve  the  dress. 

The  tools  needed  are  simple  and  easily  obtained. 
For  the  first  problems  some  strong  linen  thread  and 
Xo.  12  bead-needles  are  sufficient.  Beads  of  any 
size  and  price  may  be  purchased  at  any  kindergarten 

261 


262  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


supply  store,  of  any  arts  crafts  dealer,  the 
dealers  in  Indian  and  Mexican  goods,  or  at 
some  department  store. 

Bead-work  is  very  simple,  but  somewhat 
trying  to  the  eyes,  especially  if  the  beads 
are  small  and  the  colors  not  of  the  best. 

A  good  problem  for  beginning  is  stringing 
beads  for  a  chain.  A  very  effective  way  of 
doing  this  is  suggested  in  Fig.  1,  and  this 
may  be  varied  by  the  size,  number,  and 
color  of  the  beads  and  the  length  of  the 
loops. 

Take  two  No.  12  bead-needles  filled 
with  thread,  and  fasten  the  ends  of  both 
securely  to  a  single 
bead.  On  each  thread 
string  five  beads,  or  ^ 
more  if  the  beads 
are  small,  and  then  carry  both 
threads  through  a  single  bead 
(Fig.  2).  Again  take  the 
same  number  of  beads  on  each 
thread  and  carry  the  threads 
through  a  single  bead,  and 


Fig.  1 


so  on,  repeating  the  pro- 


Fig.  2 


BEAD-WORK 


263 


cess  until  a  cliain  of  the  desired  length 
is  completed. 

In  Fig.3boththreadsarecarriedthrough  ©  § 

three  beads  at  the 
center,  to  vary  the 
problem. 

Another  chain 
which  is  very  delicate  in 
itself,  is  made  with  two 
threads  drawn  through 
a  single  bead  in  opposite 


— =o 


Fig.  4 


Fig.  3 

directions  (Fig.  4) 
next  a  bead  on  each 
thread,  both  threads 
being  again  drawn  through  a  single  bead  from 
opposite  sides,  and  so  on,  as  in  Fig.  5.  In 
this  design  two  colors,  a  light  and  a  dark, 
should  be  used,  and  the  units  may  be 
brought  out  as  in  Fig.  6,  in  this  way  making 
a  +  or  a  x  design. 

An  easier  way  of  construct-  9 
ing  either  of  the  previous 
chains  is  to  string  a  single 
strand  first,  this  strand  to  be  jg[ 


J D 

V 

0.0 


Fig.  5  made  up  of  any  number  of  ^^Fig.  6 


264  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


beads  in  groups  of  five  forming  one  side  of  the  loop, 
alternated  with  the  center  bead  or  beads  in  the  manner 
of  Fig.  7,  a ;  then  taking  the  second  thread,  which 
is  attached  to  the  first  bead,  string  five  beads  and 

THE  START 


THE  Start 


Fig.  7 


carry  the  thread  back  through  the  next  three  beads, 
thus  taking  the  position  b,  Fig.  7.  The  principle  is 
the  same  as  in  the  other  method,  but  it  is  easier  to 
handle  one  needle  at  a  time. 


BE  AD- WORK 


265 


There  is  another  weave  made  upon  diagonals  and 
requiring  no  loom.  Let  us  suppose  the  design  calls 
for  a  width  of  eight  beads  ;  for  in  the  warp  and  weft 
weaving  an  even  number  is  best. 

Fasten  a  bead  securely  to  the  end  of  the  thread 
and,  counting  it  as  one,  string  the  required  num¬ 
ber — in  this  case  eight  beads.  Kow  string  a  bead 
and,  carrying  the  needle  through  the  seventh  bead, 
draw  the  thread  tight.  String  another  bead  and  pass 
the  needle  through  the  fifth  one.  Continue  in  this 
way,  stringing  a  bead  each  time  before  passing  the 
needle  through  the  next  bead  but  one  to  the  one  it 
just  went  through,  until  the  end  of  the  line  is  reached. 
When  the  work  is  turned,  a  bead  is  strung  and  the 
needle  passed  through  the  next  bead  but  one  to  the 
edge.  This  process  is  repeated  until  the  entire 
length  is  woven. 


266  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 

With  large  beads,  fine  wire  may 
be  used  instead  of  thread,  especially 
in  work  where  strength  is  required. 
Fig.  10  suggests  a  design  for  this 
weave,  and  might  be  extended  to 
form  a  belt. 

For  work  on  the  loom,  in  addition 
to  the  No.  12  needle  a  spool  of  linen 
machine-thread  and  a  coil  of  fine 
linen  thread  are  needed.  Special 
bead-needles,  which  are  fine  yet  long, 
can  be  procured  for  this  purpose. 

The  loom  is  a  very  simple  affair, 
easily  constructed.  It  consists  of  a  stout  piece  of 
wood  1 "  or  1 wide  and  V  long,  supporting  two 
upright  ends  about  3J"  wide  x  2£"  or  3 "  high. 

Small  headless  nails  or  brads  are  driven  across 
these  ends  t-6-  apart  (see  Fig.  11)  and  an  upholsterer’s 
tack  fastened  below  on  the  outside  for  attaching 
threads. 


Fig.  11. 


BEAD -WORK 


267 


For  the  first  exer- 
long  threads,  (the 
being  one  more  than 
in  the  width  of  the 
Fasten  the  knot  on 
for  that  purpose 
bring  the  threads 
loom,  between  the 
to  the  opposite  end, 
ening  them  to  the 
If  the  piece  of 
threads,  these  may 
supporting  bar  and 
be  tied  to  the  tack 
coil  of  paper  or  a  Fig  12 
In  this  work  an  even  number 
of  warp  threads  is  advisable,  as  l 
this  gives  you  a  center  row 
of  beads  and  makes  the 
designing  simpler. 


cise,  tie  together  the 
warp)  their  number 
the  number  of  beads 
band  to  be  woven, 
the  tack  provided 
(Fig.  11,  a),  and 
over  the  top  of  the 
nails,  as  in  Fig.  12, 
and  then  down,  fast- 
tack  upon  that  end. 
work  requires  long 
be  wound  about  the 
tied.  Or  they  may 
and  wound  up  on  a 
spool. 


We  will  suppose  there  are  eight 
threads  stretched  across  the  loom. 
String  seven  beads  upon  a  long  thread, 
keeping  hold  of  its  end  ;  place  the  seven 
under  the  warp  threads,  so  they  may  be 


Fig.  13 


268  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


pushed  up  between  the  threads  and  held  with  the 
finger  (Fig.  13)  ;  then  carry  the  thread  (the  weft) 
back  through  the  beads  but  above  the  warp,  and 
tie  the  loose  end  to  the  thread  in  the  needle. 

The  beads  are  thus  securely  fastened  between  the 
warp  threads.  String  seven  more  beads  and  repeat 
the  operation,  and  so  on  indefinitely,  constructing  a 
watch-chain,  or  necklace,  or  what  not. 

We  have  now  to  face  the  limitations  of  our  me¬ 
dium  in  design. 

Original  designs  are  made  by  drawing  lines  to 
represent  the  warp,  and  crossing  them  with  lines 
representing  the  weft  threads,  thus  forming  little 
squares  of  size  corresponding  to  that  of  beads 
used.  The  squares  are  then  filled  in  with  black  and 
white  or  color  to  represent  the  beads. 

This  limits  the  design  to  rather  rigid  abstract 
forms,  and  simple  units  are  most  effective  with  ac¬ 
cents  of  strong  dark  color. 

Opaque  white  beads  form  the  best  background,  as 
a  greater  variety  of  color  and  quality  of  beads  blend 
and  harmonize  with  them. 

Indian  designs,  as  is  the  case  with  all  of  the  primi¬ 
tive  arts,  furnish  the  simplest  and  best  motives. 

Plant  forms  and  animals  may  be  adapted,  as  in 


BEAD- WORK 


269 


Figs.  14  and  17,  and  even  the  human  form  may  be 
broadly  conventionalized.  If  you  would  go  directly 
to  nature,  I  cannot  think  of  any  better  material 
than  a  snake-skin.  Procure  some  of  the  squared 
paper  of  about  squares,  and  if  you  are  fortunate 
enough  to  be  near  the  Bronx  Park  in  New  York, 
or  similar  collections,  spend  half  a  day  with  our 
friends  the  diamond-back  rattlers  and  their  kind, 
jotting  down  design  motives  copied  from  their  backs. 

Or  perhaps  you  can  overcome  a  natural  repug¬ 
nance  sufficiently  to  study  one  of  our  common  harm¬ 
less  black  and  yellow  snakes  at  close  quarters. 

The  butterflies  and  moths  are  also  unfailing 


Fo;  IM- 


Fi*./6  Fit,.  17 


270  THE  ART  CRAFTS  FOR  BEGINNERS 


sources  of  suggestion  because  of  their  many  abstract 
line  combinations  and  multitude  of  rich  colors  in 
harmonious  relation. 


And  now  finally  let  me  say : 

Every  worker  in  the  crafts  who  is  not  already 
schooled  in  design,  should  begin  at  once  some  con¬ 
tinuous  study  of  the  principles  of  structure  and 
decoration. 

Without  this  knowledge  you  may  indeed  progress, 
but  you  will  be  seriously  handicapped  in  the  prac¬ 
tice  of  any  craft. 

To  know  his  own  work  from  A  to  Z  is  a  cardinal 
principle  of  every  good  craftsman. 

If  instruction  under  a  good  teacher  is  not  pos¬ 
sible,  purchase  one  or  two  standard  works  on  the 
subject,  or  consult  the  books  of  your  public  library. 

Set  yourself  to  learn  at  least  the  rudimentary  prin¬ 
ciples  of  ornament,  and  then  you  can  feel  that  your 
work,  from  its  inception  to  the  last  tool-mark,  is 
thoroughly  your  own. 


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